Make a 2D Pop Up Building
Create a 2D pop-up building using paper, scissors, and glue; design facades, fold tabs, and assemble a flat pop-up scene to explore paper engineering.
Step-by-step guide to make a 2D pop-up building
Step 1
Pick a fun building type like a house shop or skyscraper and decide how many buildings you want in your scene.
Step 2
Fold one sheet of paper in half to make the pop-up base.
Step 3
Use your pencil to mark evenly spaced positions along the folded edge where each building will pop up.
Step 4
Draw two short parallel lines at each pencil mark to show where you will cut the tabs.
Step 5
Cut along the drawn lines carefully to create each tab.
Step 6
Push each cut strip toward the inside along the center fold so the strip pops out when you open the base.
Step 7
Crease each popped-out strip flat to make a sturdy pop-up tab.
Step 8
Cut building facades from cardstock sized to match the width of each tab.
Step 9
Decorate each facade and the ground area using your coloring materials.
Step 10
Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of one decorated facade.
Step 11
Place the glued facade onto a pop-up tab aligning the bottom edges.
Step 12
Press the facade onto the tab so it sticks firmly.
Step 13
Close the base and let all glue dry flat for a few minutes.
Step 14
Open your 2D pop-up building scene and share your finished creation on DIY.org
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have cardstock or craft glue for the building facades?
Cut facades from a cereal box or thin cardboard and use a glue stick or double-sided tape in the step 'Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of one decorated facade' to attach them.
My pop-up tabs won't pop out or won't lay flat—what should I check?
Make sure your 'Draw two short parallel lines' cuts are clean and deep enough, re-cut if needed, then firmly re-crease the center fold and 'Crease each popped-out strip flat' with a ruler so the strips pop and lay flat.
How can I change the activity for younger kids or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children, pre-cut the 'tabs', simplify decorating with stickers, and guide the 'Push each cut strip toward the inside' step, while older kids can measure tab spacing with a ruler, add multiple facades per tab, or use a craft knife (with supervision) for precise cuts.
What are some fun ways to enhance or personalize the 2D pop-up building scene?
Enhance the scene by adding layered backdrops glued behind tabs, cutting windows that open on your 'building facades', decorating the 'ground area' with roads or trees, or placing a small battery tea-light behind the base for lighting effects.
Watch videos on how to make a 2D pop-up building
Pop-Up Tutorial 1 - Introduction - Materials and Basic Theory
4 Videos
Pop-Up Tutorial 1 - Introduction - Materials and Basic Theory
How to Make Your Own Pop-up Book!
Pop-Up Tutorial 12 - Floating Planes
Easy Pop up cards Step Fold Technique
Facts about paper engineering and papercraft
🏙️ Pop-up books can turn flat pages into whole city skylines—tiny tabs and clever folds make big scenes spring up!
✂️ Kirigami means cut paper in Japanese; adding cuts to folds lets paper do shapes and movements folding alone can't.
📐 Architects often build small paper models to test looks and fit—some professional models use scales like 1:100.
📚 Movable books date back centuries, and modern pop-up books really took off in the 19th century with advanced paper mechanisms.
🧩 A single well-placed tab or fold can make a paper building stand tall—paper engineering uses geometry and simple physics.
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