Bunny Hexagon Box

The Bunny Hexagon box is an ideal way to display a sliceform egg.

Here is the PDF.  I used cardstock for everything except the bunny which I used watercolor paper. I cut two sets of bunnies in watercolor paper (I glued them together to create a double thickness) in order to ensure a sturdy base.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYT3p6ODFjejdNRm8/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-baTyV_q2ddNXQ4bwxC5X8w

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYaUk2VnhDRmJra1k/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-PsJsh_ftEKSGIeYS4IjNEA

Slide the egg pieces together as shown below.

Using a glue stick, glue the bunny pieces together to create the framework for holding up the Easter egg. Make sure that you do not glue the tabs together at the bottom of the bunnies.  The bunny was made with watercolor paper.  I used white cardstock from Michaels originally and the paper was awful.  It tore and created a mess which I could not fix.  The watercolor paper cut beautifully on the Silhouette and I used the cardstock settings to cut this paper.

Laying the inner slit piece down, place the outer slit piece in the middle as shown.  Connect the two pieces, by inserting the slits together to form the bunny structure.  Add the sliceform egg to the middle by folding it flat and then expanding it once it is inside the bunny egg framework.

Make the box.  Glue the two bottom pieces together.  Fold and then glue it into a hexagon. Fold down the sides as shown in the picture. Slide the smaller inside hexagon shape into the box to form the bottom of the box. Using a glue stick, apply glue to the hexagon shape. Turn it over and add the larger hexagon to the bottom.

Repeat the procedure to make the top of the box using the largest scalloped pieces. Then connect the second largest pieces together and place it on top of the largest scallop.  Make sure they fit together. (I did not use glue to connect these two pieces.  I just slide one on top of the other.)

Glue the bunny structure by sliding into the slits and gluing to the top.  Using a glue stick add glue to the rest of the top. Glue the other hexagon too with a glue stick.  Attach together.

Glue the stripe to the smallest scallop piece and attach to the box.  

Repeat for the second scalloped piece with the stripe to encircle the entire box.

Add another stripe to the bottom of the box.

Sliceform Eggs for Easter

 

Sliceform Easter Egg

I love sliceforms and these eggs are no exception.  They are amazing! I love the honeycomb shape that is created when the slices are perpendicular to one another.

Notice the honeycomb shape.

 When the sliceform eggs lie flat, you can see the egg shapes that make up the sliceform.

The Sliceforms can lie flat!

I am including two versions of the egg sliceform.  One is a repeat of a previous version...the hollow egg. The newest version is the solid sliceform egg.

Here is the PDF.  I used cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYV01vcTRHb1B4OWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-D0S-cNRLIwj5cFSnoDvWOQ

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYclMwdEpnLVdyc28/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-lQIN5ZN5EjUEeHHGJ6TLww

Happy Easter!

A Five-Wheeled Spinning Ferris Wheel

Five-wheeled Ferris Wheel

This is the last Ferris Wheel in the series that I am going to design. Initially I was going to make just four wheels and then I decided that it was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye so I made a five-wheeled Ferris Wheel.  I think it turned out marvelously.

Here is the PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYYzhrUmlNYTJteXc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-3XXt_ZqyoCu2HtQwnvDiqw

Here is the .Studio file. I used cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYVGE4bkJJLTFuSkU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-bokqqMKhJzmHBcIrW1Zm1w

Use the instructions from a previous post to assembly this model.
http://papercraftetc.blogspot.com/2014/07/whats-more-exciting-than-paper-ferris.html
In addition, a center stabilizer is included in this model.  This is optional because I thought its addition would make a studier model. I did not include the instructions because it is a simple cylinder shape that is glued together. Please note, the wheels need to be aligned in the center so that they turn properly, so be careful when gluing.

Of course, Marley wants to be in the picture.

Rotational Symmetry Explained Using 5 Different Types of Pinwheels

I created five different types of pinwheels to explain the concept of rotational symmetry. Rotational symmetry is when a figure is rotated around a central point and the angle of rotation is noted when the object looks the same as the original figure. For example, a square has 90 degree rotational symmetry because it looks that same at 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees and at 360 degrees. The order of rotational symmetry of  a square is 4 because it looks the same 4 times in one rotation around a central point.

Here is the PDF of the pinwheels.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYT1duczNleEM4SUU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-lnVJ_9nV-0hufY1t_eeDQA

Here is the .Studio file of the pinwheels.  I would recommend using the thinnest material for the blades and the strongest paper that won't tear easily for the rest of the pinwheel.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYMjAtRWlyZFliT2M/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-7prVUoKPCY4Kb9LGO6B_2w

 Paper is not the best material to make the axles of these pinwheels. My fourth grade class made them and many of the pinwheels broke at the joint. I think a better choice would be to make a class set, have each student hold a pinwheel and move the pinwheel while sitting at their desk. My students wanted to touch the blades and move them with their hands while running around the room.  These actions puts too much pressure on the fragile paper joints.

To Make the Axles. Glue into a tube.

Insert into the hole.

Glue as shown above.  Repeat for the other axle.

There are two axles.  One tube is larger than the other tube.

Using the larger axle, insert into the center of the pinwheel by folding one side of the pinwheel blade.  Continue with the other pinwheel blades until it looks like the above figure.

Add the starburst figure as shown above.

Glue the tabs down as shown above.

Insert the smallest axle into the largest axle and add the circle.

Glue the circle down as shown.

Add the final round circle.

Turn the pinwheel over. Glue and bend the paper as shown.

 Insert a wooden skewer around the paper and allow it to dry before trying to move the pinwheel.

 

Repeat the above instructions for all of the different types of pinwheels.

 

A PDF that explains rotational symmetry.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYQWtLRk5UUGc3QTA/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-PawXO00eEHwHE5gUk8RVUg

Here is an area of a pinwheel challenge PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYbDdfeFFJdHJzZGM/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-fA_K0Dtj26KX3RiG0UJgNA



A Dutch Boy and Girl Paper Dolls

Dutch Paper Boy and Girl

In continuing my series of "It's a Small World Paper Dolls",  I made a Dutch paper boy and girl. The Dutch girl is holding tulips which have a fascinating history. Tulips were originally cultivated in the Ottoman Empire (present day Turkey).  They were imported into Holland in the sixteenth century. Carolus Clusius wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592.  They became so popular that his garden was raided and bulbs stolen on a regular basis. In the mid-seventeenth century, tulips were so popular that they created the first economic bubble, known as "Tulip Mania" (tulipomania). As people bought up bulbs they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed.

Here is the PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYaWwzclRtandZWlU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-YR1QS9PWe9THlA2Izr1DLQ

Here is the .Studio file. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYd2pTSTZWX3dsd3M/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-iS5yZwvP1APC9Ytr5Gj0Dw

A Hidden Message Card

A hidden message card is a fun way to send a greeting. You pull on a tab and the shutters move to reveal a message. This design is very versatile and it can be used to make a pop-up book.

 

Shutters are closed.

 



Shutters are open to reveal a message.

Here is the PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYY3NJTFg3aWl0OWs/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-1-V9xZQBUGhSzAQIvUu27Q

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYU1FLTzdWRUtPalE/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-uVW3hsZ6T4yz1NAShzwMew

 Thread the largest tab through the back as shown above.

 Thread the next size tab.

 Thread the next smaller tab.

 Glue the tabs together as shown

 Fold over the edges and apply glue.

 Leave one tab out.

 Attach the other side of the card.

 Completed shutter card.

 Inside view.

Card is in the open position. You can add a message here by gluing the four small rectangles onto each of the individual sections. As shown below.

 



 



An assortment of sizes. 

This can be done by resizing the image using your Silhouette software.