Under the Acacia Tree: A Paper Safari

Under the Acacia Tree: A Paper Safari

Here is a video of my paper safari.

Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is home to some of the continent's most spectacular wildlife: elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, and the magnificent grey-crowned crane, the country's national bird. All of them roam beneath one of nature's most iconic silhouettes: the Umbrella Thorn Acacia (Vachellia tortilis), its vast flat canopy spreading like a sheltering parasol over the golden savannah. Whether you dream of visiting Uganda's great parks like Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, or the remote wilds of Kidepo Valley or simply want to bring a piece of that landscape home, this paper model is a celebration of the scene.

I used Neenah brand 65 lb Champagne Pearl metallic cardstock from Office Depot. I recommend using a new blade and overcut to cut out this design.

Here is the .Studio file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dfbVTY9BVxoyTr0cRQkXl3ft6C25V6qB/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG. The file goes beyond the viewable area.  Zoom out to see the entire file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aEvxN1vvZPdMDmwQTZlnLlOCKCIOSbC4/view?usp=sharing

Making the Safari Scene

Each of the ten scenes are creased with a valley fold in the center.  Glue is applied to one side of the outer edges of its frame and to the acacia tree. This panel is then adhered to the next scene.  Take care to align the central crease precisely with the midpoint of the frame before the glue sets. This process is repeated until all of the scenes have been glued together. The sun has additional layers which can be glued to create a 3-D sun.

The panels are then fanned out from the spine to create the paper safari in a circular format. The last two scenes can be attached with a Glue Dot so that it can fold flat again later if desired.

Grey-Crowned Crane Diorama

Uganda Diorama - A Grey-Crowned Crane

This diorama depicts a grey-crowned crane, Uganda's national bird. It is a strikingly beautiful bird with a crown of feathers and elegant plumage. The scene shows a graceful bird striding across the open savannah of East Africa, with mountains in the background and a beautiful sunset in the distance. The grey crowned crane is truly one of Africa's most majestic birds. 

Eight double thickness tabs keep the diorama scenes together.

Pretty paper is glued to the front of the first scene.

The tabs slide into the sides of the scenes.

I used Neenah brand 65 lb Champagne Pearl metallic cardstock from Office Depot. I recommend using a new blade and overcut to cut out this design as the intricate pieces might not cut correctly.

Here is the .Studio file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pr4ORSmHbvHD-UgsRWSx7B2jC1DePMmu/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG. The file goes beyond the viewable area.  Zoom out to see the entire file.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q13eHelzdiKYJqSuSk7E_lV_TYzmjtfz/view?usp=sharing