Valentine Twist Pop Up Cards

This style action card is surprisingly easy to assemble, 

with mirror-image front and back base or rectangular shapes. 

Internal ‘arms’ mechanism holds accordion-folded 

panel that provides the open-up action. 

Lift card front to open and see the panels spread wide, 

with varied accent panels mounted on four panels. 

This holiday's designs include:

 Love Potion (5” wide x 6.5” tall)

Mug Swirls (4” wide x 5.5” tall)

and Cupid Be Mine (4.25” wide x 5” tall).

The vintage style Cupid Be Mine design will be presented
first, with the other two card designs to follow,
The Mug Swirls card will begin at step 22,
and the Love Potion card will begin at step 35.

ASSEMBLY: 
CUPID BE MINE
1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A twist and pop mechanism
B card base (front & back)
C interior sentiment or accent panel
D "arms" panel   
E tiles with heart accents for "arms" panel (4)
F accent panels for card front (4)
G bracket with "be mine" word cut
H scallop, heart, offset heart
I cupid cut out

2. Crease the side-to-side center perforation line

with a "valley" fold. Unfold.

3. Fold the diagonal lines as "mountain" folds,

then unfold.

4. Begin to form the mechanism into its final shape
by re-directing the side extensions inward as shown . . .

. . . so that the extensions are folded between
the front and back house-shaped panels . . . 

. . . then lay flat on work surface and press with

fingertips to ensure a crisp fold all along the diagonal

perforation lines, especially at the top corner.

This is how the mechanism should now open.

5. Fold the front/back card base rectangle

in half on perforation line and crease well.

6. Identify the front accent panel positioning

guide marks at the center of the front panel

and also near the four corners, then . . .

. . . position and attach the four accent print panels
into the positions marked by guide marks.

6. Apply adhesive to the underside of the mechanism
("dry" double-side adhesive tape works well).

7. Open the card base, with the back side still flat

on the work surface. Position the fully-closed mechanism

onto the base back with the top tip centered at

the fold, but backed down a tiny bit, to ensure . . .

. . . that the card front can easily close over the tip

without interference as is being tested here.

Check for straightness along sides and bottom edges,

then attach securely.

8. Apply adhesive to the top surface of the mechanism,

fold the card front down into place to align exactly

over back base panel, and attach mechanism in place.

The card with mechanism should now open as shown.

9. Position and attach the interior accent
or sentiment shape on the bottom center
portion of the mechanism.

10. Prepare the front accent decorations by

positioning and attaching the "be mine" word cuts

onto the bracket shape, layering the hearts onto

the scallop heart base.

11. Position and attach the scallop heart unit onto

the card front, centered side-to-side on the four panels

middle seam, and slightly higher than the middle.

12. Position and attach the cupid over the heart,

with the bracket over the cupid's feet.

NOTE: the finished sample card has a little but of "curl" arch

added to the center of the bracket, with ends flattened

and only ends attached. Nail head accents were added.

13. Prepare the "arms strip" by bending perf lines

in alternating directions to form the "W" shape.

14. Position and attach the heart cut outs onto

the center of each of the four tiles.

15. Position and attach each tile within one of

the arm strip panels.

16. Prepare to attach the ends of the arms strip by

envisioning how the strip will fit over the opened

and flat card. Then . . .

. . . fold back the strip at center line, and align

the crease at the center diagonal intersections

of the mechanism, also center top to bottom

on the side-to-side fold line.

17. Unfold, then re-fold just the end panel
and mark on the upper half of the mechanism arm
where the fold line extends to.

18. Apply adhesive ONLY to the arm in the area

above the middle crease line, and between the end

of the arm strip and the marked line from step 17.

19. Carefully unfold the strip end panel and attach

to the recently-added adhesive.

20. Repeat the process on the opposite end of
the arm strip, folding back the left end panel
(make sure it remains centered), marking along
the fold in the lower half of the mechanism arm,
then . . .

. . carefully unfold the left end and apply pressure
to attach to the adhesive.
21. Assist the arms to fold inward as desired in
the "twist" action by slowly closing the card front
downward over the back . . .

. . . assisting the right end down and inward
while at the same time assisting the left end 
to move up and inward . . .

. . . so that the arm strip fold back into the "W"

stacked form . . .

. . . and the card front fully closes 

over the mechanism.

This is the finished card.

MUG SWIRLS CARD

22. Identify and cut the shapes:

A twist and pop mechanism

B card base front   C card base back

D interior accent shape or sentiment panel

E "arms" strip

F tile shapes with swirl cutout (4)  G contrast tile liners (4)

H mug hull   I contrast mug base (handle)

J mug band and contrast liner strip

K scalloped heart, contrast middle, front heart

L "steam" swirls base, overlays and accent dots

23. Prepare the back base by bending forward

 on the perforation near top (shape is shown here

viewing from the backside). 

24. Apply adhesive to the top above the perforation
crease, then . . .

. . . position the front over the back with face sides

outward, align edges, and join.

25. Refer to the cupid card steps 2-4 to prepare
the mechanism shape.
26. Open the card base and locate the tip positioning
guide mark inverted 'V', then position the tip at mark.
Refer to the notation in step 7 about backing the tip away
 from the fold a tiny bit to avoid closure interference,
then follow steps 7 and 8 to position and attach
the mechanism to inside faces of card front and back.
Also position and attach the interior accent shape.

27. Position and attach a contrast liner rectangle
behind each tile to show thru the swirl and dot cutout.

28. Refer to step 13 to position and attach each tile in 

one panel of the folded arm strip.

29. Refer to steps 16-21 to position and attach the arms
strip onto the arm extensions of the mechanism.

Here is the opened card with arms panels in place.

30. Prepare the card front decoration by assembling

the mug hull over the handle base, layering

and attaching the three scallop and plain heart shapes,

and positioning and attaching the band front over

the contrast liner shape.

31. Assemble the "steam" swirls accent by positioning
and attaching the two slight contrast overlay swirls
over the matching shapes on the welded base,
and attaching the cut circles over matched shapes.

32. Position the swirls accent with the lower
connecting base "band" behind the top mug
edge with mug and right edges aligned also.

33. Complete the mug by positioning and attaching

band over the mug, then the heart over the band.

34. Position and attach the mug assembly
on the card front panel, with narrow offset
margins all around.

Here is the completed card when closed . . .

. . . and when open.

LOVE POTION
35. Identify and cut the shapes:

A twist and pop mechanism

B card base front   C card base back

D interior accent shape or sentiment panel

E "arms" strip

F tile shapes with heart cutouts (4 each)  

G bottle front   H heart accent

I double rim shapes (2 for dimensional build up)

J cork   K label base   L label rim   M LOVE word cut

36. Prepare the card back base by bending

forward on the perforation line near top.

37. Position the front and back bases with backsides

together, then position and attach ONLY above the line.

38. Refer to the cupid card steps 2-4 to prepare
the mechanism shape.
39. Open the card base and locate the tip positioning
guide mark, then position the tip at mark.

Refer to the notation in step 7 about backing the tip away
 from the fold a tiny bit to avoid closure interference,
then follow steps 7 and 8 to position and attach
the mechanism to inside faces of card front and back.
Also position and attach the interior accent shape.

40. Prepare the front decoration by layering the label rim

over the label base and attaching with edges matched.

If desired, layer the double rim shapes for

added dimension.

41. Position and attach shapes to bottle as shown,
retaining the cork until the next step.

42. Position the bottle assembly over the card front,

center with offset margin, and attach in place. Then . . .

. . . apply glue to cork and tuck bottom edge under
the rim edge and attach in place.

Here is the completed card when closed, and . . .

. . . when open.