Mother’s Day Lotus Flower Pop-Up Card Tutorial

04 Apr Mother’s Day Lotus Flower Pop-Up Card Tutorial

This year, for Mother’s day, I made a lotus flower pop up card for my mom.  My mother wanted the white lotus, however I made a pink one too.  I finally had a chance to finish the lotus flower pop up card tutorial.  Here is what the popup card looks like.

The video of the card in action can be seen here: Video of Lotus Flower Pop Up Card.  This card is a little more challenging to make than the other cards, but it’s well worth the effort.  What makes this card a little tricky is the center seed cup.  I wanted to make the seed cup open up completely flat.  In order to do this, I used a thread to help pull down the sides of the seed cup.  The thread provides more leverage than just the sides of the seed cup.  The card takes a little longer to make, but the results are worth it.  Here is the tutorial video that shows instructions on how to make the lotus flower pop up card.  It’s a little longer than my usual videos but I did get it under 20 mins.

If you prefer written instructions, you can follow these steps below.

1.  Purchase the template from the store here: Lotus Flower Pop Up Card Template.

2. Cut out all of the pieces of the flower, inside and outside card from the color card stock of your choice.  Click here for instructions on how to cut out the pieces using the template.  Make sure you score all of the dotted lines.

3. Start with the center seed cup.  Make sure all of the scored lines (fold lines) are very soft and flexible.  The folds should almost fold by themselves from gravity.  Here is a picture of what the center cup looks like folded:

4. Thread a needle and tie a knot at the end of thread.  Create an anchor at the end of your thread so that the thread does not slip through the card stock.  Pass the needle through a small strip of paper leaving a small loop of thread near the knot.  Insert another strip of paper inside the loop and glue the strips together.  The images below show how to make the anchor:

5. Pass the needle (with the anchor) through one side of the folded seed cup where the small hole is.

Glue the ends together.  Here is what the anchor looks like:

6. Pass the needle through one of the holes in the flower base. You can cut the needle off the thread, but be careful not to let the thread slip out of the flower base.

7. Create another anchor at the end of the thread.  Pass the needle through the other side of the seed cup as shown.

8. Pass the needle through the top flap of the seed cup as shown.  Glue the top flap down.

9. Then pass the needle through the other hole in the flower base.

10. Pull the tabs of the seed cup through the flower base and pull the strings taught.

11.  Fold the flower base in half and pull the threads taught again.  Wrap the strings around the seed cup tabs and glue the tabs down.  This will lock the thread in place so that it does not slip when the card is opened.  Let the glue dry before opening.  This is what the thread looks like wrapped around the tabs.

12.  Trim the tabs so that they are shorter than the center fold line.  Make sure the tabs do not interfere when the flower base is opened.  Trim the excess thread.  Here is what the seed cup looks like after assembly.

13.  Around the seed cup are many thin stamens.  Score and fold along the dotted lines.  Use a toothpick  or thin round object to curl the ends of the stamens.

14. Assemble the stamen section to the flower base using the slots next to the seed cup.

15.  Score and fold the flower petals labeled “A”.  Assemble the “A” petals in the same slots as the stamen piece.

16. Score and fold the flower petals labeled “B”.  Assemble the “B” petals in the last set of slots in the flower base.

17.  Insert the tabs that are sticking out of the flower base into corresponding slots in the inside card.  You will not use the center two slots.  Tape the tabs down making sure not to cover the final slot. Fold the card in half to make sure everything folds flat.

18. Score and fold the flower petals labeled “C”.  Assemble the “C” petals in the last set of slots in the inside card.  Tape the tabs down.

19.  Fold the outside card in half and make sure all the corner cut outs are fully cut.  Insert the inside card into the outside card at the corners.

20.  Open the card and push and “fluff” the stamen stems outward.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  It is a bit longer than my usual tutorials.  Please click here to purchase the template for this card: Lotus Flower Pop Up Card Template.

If you make this card, I would love to hear how your card turned out.  Please let me know in the comments below.