Owl Shaped Ornament Card

A fancy twist on classic owl designs, 

this shaped card can also be an ornament. 

Three tiers of "feather" shapes with center layer of each 

a darker contrast creates a zigzag design. 

Tail features two colors. 

Detailed head includes build-up shape layers to raise it 

above the thickness of body feather sections. 

Eye "feather" details provide some drama, 

with "gear" style eye base accents, two-part eye 

with contrast highlight circle cutouts. 

Nine mini brads hold the tiers to the assembly silhouette shape. 

Card back has perforation line which allows 

back to bend outward to reveal message space. 

Measures approx. 7" tall when closed. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A & B ornament card base and back

C assembly silhouette

D head front   E head base (3) for build up

F eyes base silhouette

G nose bridge with acorn beak and "cap"

H eye accent overlay

I feather layers Tier 1 (top)

J feather layers Tier 2 (middle)

K feather layers Tier 3 (bottom)

L tail feather sections

M "gear" eye accents (3 pairs for build up)

N eye base with highlight show-thru shapes

O eye top layer shapes

2. Layer and attach the 3 head build up base shapes

taking care to align all edges that match up.

3. Position and attach the head front layer on top

of the base stack.

NOTE consider flattening under a weight

while glue is drying is using liquid adhesive.

4. Position and attach the nose bridge over 

the eye base, matching it to the edges and

shape where it should align.

5. Position and attach the nose "acorn" shape

and the "cap" at top of acorn.

6. Position and attach the right and left eye overlays

on top of the eye base, and overlapping

the nose bridge extensions.

7. Position and attach 3 of the eye gear accent shapes

into a stack, then repeat for second stack.

Flatten under a weight if possible, while drying.

8. Identify the eye components:

center - eye base with cutouts

top - highlight contrast ovals (fit these into cutouts)

outer sides - eye top layers

9. Position (centered) and attach the eye base 

on top of the gear stacks.

10. Position and attach the highlight ovals

in the recesses of eye base shapes.

11. Position the eye top shapes, centered over

the eye base with narrow offset border,

and oriented so that the highlight cutouts are

over the ovals beneath.

12. Located the guide marks on the head front

that show where acorn nose tip and "valley"

of the nose bridge will align, then position

eye assembly over head front at guide marks

and attach in place where the two assemblies touch.

13. Prepare the three feather tiers by overlaying

the middle layer (contrast) over the base layer

with top edges and hole punches lined up,

and glue together.

Next overlay the top layer over the previous assembly

with top edges and hole punches aligned,

and attach in place.

14. Repeat for middle tier, and . . . 

. . . bottom tier.

Prepare the tail unit by layering one on top

of the other, with top "header" margins aligned which

will cause the feathers to offset and alternate colors.

Here are the three feather tiers

and the feather unit.

15. Position the tail (and feather tiers) onto

 the assembly silhouette, beginning at the bottom

to center tail unit, with narrow offset margin

at bottom and sides, and with header edges

lined up at adjacent cut edges as indicated

and glue top header in place.

16. Position the bottom feather assembly
overlapping tail feathers, with punch holes
aligned, and glue top edges in place.

17. Position and attach middle feathers in place,

and finally . . . 

. . . top feathers unit.

18. Position and attach head unit

with front head layer overlapping

top feather unit, and with head edges

lined up with corresponding edges

of assembly silhouette.

19. Add mini brads at punch holes (9)

or substitute studs.

20. Position owl assembly/silhouette base

over the card base front, with narrow offset

margin all around, and attach in place.

21. Prepare the card back base

by bending forward at perforation line

(NOTE back shape is shown from backside here),

then  . . . 

. . . position card front back to back with

card back with upper edges aligned,

and glue together the head portions above

the perforation line.

22. Complete the ornament card by threading

a length of fairly narrow ribbon through

punch hang hole.

Owl 3D Large Standing Figure

Friendly fowl for decor and display is constructed 

of body halves composed of lid and base boxes 

which join at the center wall. 

Tube legs (reinforce with 5/16" wooden) connect 

through body to the feet box. 

Body accents plus wings, feet accent, eye/beak "mask" 

and two-layer eyes give him character. 

Finished size: approx. 10.5" tall x 3.125" deep 

(feet) x 11.125 wide. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A body LID and BASE right side shapes
B right accent body LID shape
C body LID and BASE left side shapes
D left accent body LID shape
E wing front and stack shapes (4 for left & right)
F eye assembly (2 sets)
G mask stack (4-5)
I right LID boxing strips
J right BASE boxing strips
K left BASE boxing strips
L left LID boxing strips
M feet LID and BASE main shapes
N feet accent LID shape
O leg posts
P feet bottom cover (hides post openings)
Q feet "struts" to support box depth

R post "collar" shapes (16) 
to support body height
S body "struts" to support box depth (2 sets)
T body LID top covers left & right
to hide dowel post insertion openings
NOTE SHOWN: wings positioning guide

2. Identify the body left and right

LID and BASE shapes that correspond.

NOTE: though not obvious here, LID shapes on top

are shown face side up, BASE shapes on

bottom are shown face side down.

Also note that the BASE shapes include a cut-in

'B' shape to identify them more easily.

(Since the 'B' can be read equally from face side

and wrong side, you may want to mark an 'X'

or other notation on the wrong sides of BASE

shapes as they are pulled from cutting mat

to also help identify them.)

3. Identify the boxing strips for LEFT & RIGHT

body, both BASE and LID.

LID shapes will have single symbols cut

into tabs; BASE shapes will have double

symbols. NOTE: strips pictured here

were further modified after prototype

was constructed to include body

post openings for top and bottom

for both LID and BASE.

Left boxing strips which are mirrored from
right boxing strips also include the 'L' cut.

4. Prepare the boxing strips (beginning with LEFT

side for assembly shown) by bending back all

top edge tabs and end tabs, also bend back

on vertical perforation lines - then re-bend

in appropriate direction to correspond

to the body shape. NOTE: this bending to match

process is shown for feet shape in step 16.

5. Begin by positioning the long inner edge of strip

at the corresponding edge of body,

overlapping straight edge to strip's perforation

line, and glue in place.

NOTE that the tiny triangle symbol in flange tab

is visible at bottom of image.

Symbols will help identify which ends of strips

should be joined.

6. Continue to bend the strip's segments
into position to align with body edge segments,
one at a time, and glue in place.

NOTE that it will be helpful to invert the assembly
on a flat surface to apply finger pressure along
the tabs being joined to ensure a strong bond.

7. Prepare to join the second body boxing strip

to the first strip's end by identifying the symbols

near each end - a single 'X'. Overlap the straight

end of the strip attached to the body at the

second strip's end tab, and glue in place.

8. Continue to position and attach the remaining

tab segments to corresponding body edges . . . 

. . . until only 1 or 2 segments remain.
Bend the final end tab back (includes the tiny
triangle symbol on the lead boxing edge from
step 5), apply glue to final segment AND end
tab, then position and attach both in the same step.
Complete both left and right LIDS and BASE
assemblies in similar manner.

9. Position and attach the LID front accent

shape onto the completed LID assembly . . . 

. . . noting that the center long straight

edge of accent will be placed at LID center

edge, with equal offset margins at top and bottom.

(Offset of accent edge does not echo LID edges.)

10. Prepare the post collar shapes by stacking

and gluing together 8 shapes into two stacks each, 

taking care to accurately line up edges, 

especially the circular edges.

NOTE: it will be helpful to use a flat weight laid

on top of the glued-up stacks to help press them

flat during the drying process.

(Use of weights to press will also be helpful

when gluing up WING and MASK stacks in

later steps.)

11. Position collar at inside top boxing of BASE,
with open side of collar circle facing the body's
long center side, and with circle edges of each
lined up exactly. NOTE: leg dowel post extension
will eventually need to fit snugly through 
this collar/body hole.
Repeat for both left and right body BASES.

12. Position body LID assemblies together

at center edges, then push circle tabs of left

through the corresponding openings of right,

and glue tabs in place to join.

13. Prepare the body strut supports by bending

back tabs, then sliding the set together at

"center" slots.

14. Position the strut into the BASE tray

at the side, away from the location where

dowel will eventually be inserted, and

glue tabs to inside of BASE.

NOTE that dowel is temporarily inserted

through top and bottom openings

to help gauge where struts should be placed.

15. Prepare to assembly the feet box by

identifying the base with the 'B' cut symbol.

Also prepare the LID main shape by pushing

the post opening wedge tabs through to backside

using a pencil eraser end or similar tool.

16. Prepare the feet boxing strips by bending
back top edge and end tabs, also bending back on all
vertical perforation lines, then re-bending
to match the edge configuration of feet shape.
Note that the tiny square symbols will fall at
the center back, and tiny circles will fall at front.

17. Position and join the feet boxing strips
to feet main LID and BASE shapes in
the same manner as for the body . . . 

. . . adding the second boxing strip

to first at ends, then continuing to join in place . . . 

. . . until the final segment and strip end tabs

are joined in place in same step.

18. Complete the feet BASE in same manner.

19. Position and attach the feet accent shape

to the LID, matching leg post openings exactly.

Accent edges will be irregularly offset

within feet LID edges.

20. Prepare the feet strut strip by bending at

center perforation, bending tabs back.

21. Position and attach in the BASE assemble
in position as shown near center, to support
the box depth near leg post openings.

22. Prepare the leg post shapes by carefully
bending back on the series of long perforation
lines.
23. Form the post into a tube to bring the long
straight edge to overlap the opposite flange tab
perforation line, and glue in place.
NOTE this will be easier to do by wrapping
the post shape around the 5/16" diameter dowel
that will later be cut to length for leg supports . . .

. . . using the dowel inside tube as a "press-against"
surface to securely join the seam.

24. Insert the leg tubes (long tabs end) through

feet LID shape . . . 

. . . then begin to fit the LID over the BASE
so that the leg posts . . . 

. . . can be inserted through BASE openings
also. Then close the feet LID and BASE 
completely . . . 

. . . adjust the posts so that bottom tab perforations

align at BASE edge. Bend tabs back and glue

in place securely.

25. Squeeze adhesive between the LID and BASE

layers intermittently around to help secure.

26. Position and attach the bottom cover

to hide the post holes.

27. Insert the top post end (short tabs) through

corresponding openings in bottom of body LID,

then bend tabs back and glue in place.

NOTE: make sure that the feet assembly is

correctly oriented toward the front of body.

28. Insert the dowel through body top openings

and into leg posts, pushing completely down

so end rests behind feet BASE surface.

Without compressing the top of body,

mark the length of the dowel. Repeat for

each body/leg.

Carefully cut to size, "keeping" the marked

line so that posts will be long enough to be

secured by collar stack build up inside BASEs.

Sand ends as needed so they are smooth.

29. Prepare the mask stack by carefully positioning

and joining each of the 4-5 shapes

into a built-up stack. Use a flat weight to press 

until dry, to help avoid warping or curling 

during drying process. 

30. Prepare the eye units by layering

and centering the three shapes as shown.

31. Position the eye units over the alignment
dash circles on mask and glue in place.

32. Position the mask/eyes assembly onto

the front LID joined assembly, center and adjust,

then securely glue in place.

33. Insert each body BASE into backside

of each LID. Apply glue between LID

and BASE layers as was done for feet assembly.

34. Insert cut dowel lengths into each

post opening at body top, sliding through

to insert into leg posts and completely down,

adding some quick-grab adhesive to

inserted end (if desired and can be done neatly)

and also at top to secure top end within collar stack.

35. Prepare top body covers by bending back

slightly at perforation, then position and attach

at top boxing to hide the post openings.

36. Prepare the wing stacks by layering

the wing face with remaining 3 build up layers,

one by one, taking care to precisely align cut edges.

Use a flat weight to help flatten during glue-up process.

37. Use the wing positioning template shape

aligned over the body's backside to help

determine wing position . . . 

. . . by lightly marking overlapped edge position.

Reverse guide template to mark opposite side,

then remove guide, position and attach wings in place.

Here is the completed standing owl figure.