Let’s make something!
2D to 3D
fold cut-out objects
3d objects start to look interesting when they are a bit complex (8 to 20 faces). You can make them even more interesting, without adding more faces: by making the shape a bit irregular and adding cut-out openings!
By making the shape less regular, it looks more ‘unique’ (not just a simple shape). And by cutting out the faces, you make it look more ‘complex’ (one can see both inside AND outside at once, and it looks like it’s made of more pieces). Note: in this tutorial we now have 2 types of folds: ‘mountain folds’ (where the 2 faces fold away from you) and ‘valley folds’ (where the 2 faces fold towards you). They are shown with 2 different dotted lines:
lantern 1
lantern 2
valley fold mountain fold
So let’s get started with a couple of these objects that look a little bit like lanterns. (because they have so many openings, you can easily place a little electric LED candle inside) The two are shown in the previous page, and are labeled ‘lantern 1’ and ‘lantern 2’. LANTERN 1 This is the simplest of the two lanterns. The base and the body of the lantern are basically a basic 6-sided shape (called a ‘hexagon’). The top folds up and down to make 2 tips (but its base is a simple hexagon).
Start by connecting the 2 parts of the body, and then close the tube of the body completely. Next, glue the base. Finally, close the top and glue 6 edges to the last 6 edges of the body. The trick with the shape of the top is that some folds go up and other folds go down (some are ‘mountain folds’ and others are ‘valley folds’).
LANTERN 2 This one is a bit more complex (and fun). It also has a body and a top and a bottom, but with more triangular pointy faces. Start by connecting the 2 parts of the body (front and back). Next, build the base. Then, make the 2 parts of the top and glue them together (the 2 parts are like 2 little ‘horns’). Finally, glue the body to the base and then to the base.
Since these ‘lantern’ designs are cut open to the inside and have a fairly flat base, they are perfect for holding a small LED tealight ‘candle’ (LED lights are safe because they don‘t emit heat; don’t use a real candle, or the paper might burn!)
structure and faces:
In this tutorial you have seen that you can make objects appear more interesting when you cut away the faces and leave only the edges. But this is also a lesson about the ‘structure’ on an object. When you cut away the faces, you’ll notice that the shape of the object will be kept together, even if you cut away all the faces! That’s because the ‘structure’of the object is all in the edges (what keep it all together). Sure, the centers of the faces also help a bit, but they are not necessary. On the other hand, if you cut away too much off each face, and only leave edges that are too thin... at some point it won’t be strong enough to stay together. There is a limit to how little structure an object needs (this often depends on the material that the object is made of; an object made of metal, for example, can have much thinner edges, because metal is stronger than paper).
LANTERN 1 9
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14 4
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2
body part 1
LANTERN 1 13
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6
5
14
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body part 2
LANTERN 1 16
7
16 2
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6
18
3 4
top
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LANTERN 1
10
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8
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bottom
12
LANTERN 2 15
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24 20
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21
13
17
32
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14 19
14
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38
5
10
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body- front
18
LANTERN 2 23 41
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35
42 39
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39 32
12
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36
8
40
body- back
2
LANTERN 2 35
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28 bottom
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LANTERN 2 36 8
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11 3
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18 6
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6 4
2
1
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top part 1
top part 2
5