December 27, 2022

Vintage Disney Nottingham Castle Papercraft

Disney Castle Bastelbogen
The template for this vintage Disney paper model was originally released in installments in 1977 in a German magazine for children. The model is of Nottingham Castle which appears in the 1973 animated Disney film, Robin Hood. Although difficult to see in the image, the castle is laid out in the shape of an octagon. In addition to the castle walls and towers, the model comes with several cutouts of characters from the movie. The JPG format template for the model may be downloaded here.

Other Disney Papercraft:

Peter Pan Dioramas
Cinderella Castle
3D Bambi
Princess Paper Dolls
Lady and the Tramp

December 18, 2022

Pop-up Origami Angels

DIY Pop-up Angel Card
These origami angels from David Brill can be folded to be either free standing figures or greeting card pop-ups. The folding pattern for the angel is a modification of a "Christmas fairy" origami. PDF Folding diagrams of both the angel and the Christmas fairy may be downloaded from David's website located here. Also available from David is a video tutorial showing how to fold both versions of the angel.

Other Christmas Papercraft:

Melting Snowman
Winged Reindeer Ornament 
Praying Angel Origami
3D Coca-Cola Bears
Krampus Paper Toy

December 11, 2022

Printable Marvel Black Panther Mask

MCU Black Panther Mask Bastelbogen
This excellent 3D papercraft Black Panther cowl is a free sample from DT Workshop. The life-size mask is constructed from two types of special card stock: textured black and metallic silver. While great as a display piece, in order to be worn as a functional mask, the eyes need to be either left as open holes or replaced with a transparent material. The PDF template for the mask, along with detailed instructions, maybe found here.

Other MCU Papercraft:

Thor's Stormbreaker
Ultron Head
Infinity Gauntlet
X-Men Sentinel Head
Iron Man Helmet

December 5, 2022

Vintage Papercraft Nativity Diorama

1958 Nativity Bastelbogen
This extraordinary papercraft nativity scene was published in an Austrian magazine in 1958. The thing that makes it special is it includes not just a nativity scene, but also five other scenes from the Christmas story. Across the top of the model are Mary and Joseph inquiring at the inn, the Annunciation, and an angel appearing to the shepherds. Along the bottom of the model are the flight of the holy family into Egypt (I think), the nativity, and the three wise men. The JPG format template for the model may be downloaded from the AGK website. German language instructions are included as part of the download.

November 27, 2022

Printable Crystal Advent Calendar

Quartz Advent Calendar Bastelbogen
This is one of the more unusual Advent calendars I have seen. It takes the form of quartz crystals. At first I thought, "Where are the dates?" But as I looked closer, I found faint numbers near the base of each crystal. As is typical for Advent calendars, treats may be hidden inside. The pointed end of each crystal acts as the lid. The PDF template for this calendar may be downloaded from the Mr. Printables website. While quartz crystals may not have much to do with Christmas, this papercraft definitely has a wintery feel to it!

Other Holiday Papercraft:

November 17, 2022

Marvel Papercraft: Loki

Marvel Loki Bastelbogen
I like the subtlety of this Loki paper model: the relaxed pose, the crown in hand, the look of stern resignation on the face. Considering the creator of this papercraft (DeviantART member MorellSunweaver) combined two different Loki 3D models from the Marvel Future Fight video game to create this model, I think the results are excellent! He also created the scepter from scratch without benefit of a model from the game! The finished model stands stands at roughly 14" (35 cm) tall. The Pepakura PDO template for the model may be downloaded here.

November 14, 2022

14th Anniversary!

Bastelbogen
November 5th was the 14th anniversary of Tektonten Papercraft! As Smashmouth said once in a song: "Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming". Fourteen years seems like a long time to blog about papercraft, but I have loved every minute of it. The creativity of those who design paper models never ceases to amaze me! Thanks so much to everyone who has visited Tektonten in the last fourteen years! Pictured above is a pile of papercraft at my house. Most of these models have been featured on my blog at one time or the other.

November 10, 2022

Papercraft Skyscraper Collection

Skyscraper Architecture Bastelbogen
Pictured is just a sample of the dozens of skyscraper paper models created by "Ginseng" at the Skyscraper City forum. Each of the models is 1:1500 scale. The majority of the models are buildings from New York City. However, other cities are represented including (but not limited to!): Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis, Denver, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, London, Montreal, Toronto, and Shanghai. The PNG templates for each of the models may be downloaded here.

Other Architecture Collections:

Historic Illinois Buildings
German Village
N Scale Commercial Architecture
Czech Churches
Cute Micro City

October 31, 2022

Fortnite Papercraft: Ragnarok Mask

Fortnite Mask Bastelbogen
Happy Halloween! If you are looking for a quick last minute costume, this Fortnite Ragnarok mask is probably not the thing for you as it will take more than a couple of hours to build. But just in case you do have the time... ;) This mask was released by Sabi96 in 2018. The download (available HERE) includes both PDF and Pepakura PDO templates. Ragnarok is one of many Legendary Outfits in the Fortnite video game. The Ragnarok outfit depicts a blue-haired Norse warrior who wears a demon skull mask into combat.

Other 3D Papercraft Masks:

1960's Batman Cowl
Frankenstein's Monster
Skyrim Dragon Priest
Borderlands Handsome Jack
Fortnite Drift Mask

October 24, 2022

Frankenweenie Papercraft: Sparky

Disney Dog Bastelbogen
Tim Burton produced two movies titled Frankenweenie. The first is a live action, short film released in 1984. The second is a full length, stop motion animated movie released in 2012. Frankenweenie is a humorous retelling of the Frankenstein story with a dog named Sparky playing the role of the monster. This Sparky papercraft was created by DeviantART member, Wadyface, and depicts how the dog appeared in the animated movie. The JPG template for this papercraft may be downloaded here.

Other Tim Burton Papercraft:

Edward Scissorhands Paper Dolls
Jack Skellington
Oogie's Manor Skull
Halloween Town Treasure Chest
Printable Frankenweenie Masks

October 19, 2022

Printable Halloween Pumpkin D20

D20 Jack-O-Lantern Bastelbogen
If you are playing a tabletop role playing game in the month of October, this Halloween pumpkin D20 is the thing you need. Gio Lasar, the creator of this papercraft, suggests this ornery looking jack-o'-lantern would also make a nice Halloween ornament to hang about the house. The printable PDF template for the pumpkin, as well as instructions, may be found at Intructables.

Other Paper Dice:

Oogie Boogie Dice
RPG Bonanza
Cute Japanese Birds
Stone Textured Collection
Steampunk Themed

October 16, 2022

Spider-Man Far from Home Papercraft

Marvel Spider-Man Bastelbogen
This Spider-Man paper model was released by the Indonesian papercraft website, Peri Kertas, in 2019. The model depicts the costume Spidey wears in the movie, Spider-Man: Far from Home. While the pose of this figure is not all that dynamic, what makes this papercraft interesting is that it comes with an optional head without the mask. And yes, the unmasked face has a striking resemblance to actor Tom Holland who plays the wall crawler. :) The PDF and Pepakura PDO instructions for the model may be downloaded here

Other Spider-Man Papercraft:

Spider-Ham
Playstation 4 Costume
Iron Spider
Low Poly Wall Art

October 9, 2022

DIY Minecraft Halloween Pumpkin & Creeper

DIY Life Size Minecraft Decorations
Rixie is a crafty mom who made some Minecraft Halloween decorations for her front porch. I think they turned out great! Using papercraft templates as a guide, Rixie painted square cardboard boxes to look like a Minecraft jack-o-lantern and a creeper head. I think these would also work well as masks for a Minecraft Halloween costume. Instructions on how to build the pumpkin and the creeper may be found here. If you prefer desktop size versions of the heads, Rixie has included copies of the papercraft templates she used to make the cardboard versions.

Other Minecraft Papercraft:

Ender Dragon
Steve Automata
Printable Chess Game
Treasure Chest

October 2, 2022

Papercraft Steampunk Glasses

Steampunk Glasses Bastelbogen
Papercraft designer Shunichi Makino intended for these Steampunk glasses to have a retro feel. However, the end result, he says, reminds him a lot of the droid C-3PO from the Star Wars universe. The nice thing about these paper glasses is that they are offered in three levels of difficulty, from the most complicated ones shown in the photo, to a super simple pair that are not much more than a 2 1/2 D cut-out. The PDF templates for the glassed may be downloaded here.

Other Papercraft Eyewear:

First Person Shooter Glasses
KH2 Sid Highwind Goggles
Halloween Boo! Spectacles
Iris Mechanism Glasses

September 25, 2022

VW Karmann Ghia Paper Model

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Bastelbogen
One of my earliest memories is of my dad driving me to kindergarten in his VW Karmann Ghia. It was dark blue with a white top. Three companies collaborated to produce the sports car: Volkswagen, Karmann, and Carrozzeria Ghia. Production of the cars ceased in 1974. This 1:25 scale paper model is of the convertible version of the Karmann Ghia. The three page JPG template for the model may be downloaded here. To get the highest resolution JPGs, click on the image first to enlarge it, then right click on the image and select "save image as". Sorry, there are no instructions for this one. 

Other VW Papercraft:

1999 Beetle
Herbie the Love Bug
1950's Split Window VW
New Beetle

September 20, 2022

Printable Japanese Fox Mask

Kitsune Mask Bastelbogen
In Japanese folklore, foxes are said to be shapeshifting tricksters. In the spirit of fun, during certain festivals in Japan, it is a tradition to wear decorative fox masks (aka kitsune masks). This printable papercraft kitsune mask is offered by Sagara Works as an inexpensive DIY alternative to more expensive paper mache or ceramic fox masks. The PDF template for the mask may be downloaded here.

Related Papercraft Masks:

Spirited Away No Face
Naruto Kakashi Dog Mask
Last Airbender Amon
Fortnite Drift
Hatsune Miku Kitsune Mask

September 11, 2022

Byzantine Synagogue Paper Model

Jesus Synagogue Bouwplaten
This paper model is a recreation of the 4th century synagogue that once stood in the ancient city of Capernaum in Israel. Thousands of tourists visit the building every year, for underneath its ruins are the remains of a 1st century synagogue. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all report that Jesus taught in this older synagogue. This papercraft is offered free by the Reformed Church Apeldoorn South in the Netherlands and may be downloaded here. The build photo shown is a model similar to the download. The PDF template in the download, in my opinion, has better textures than those pictured!

August 28, 2022

Harry Potter Flying Key Papercraft

Harry Potter Winged Key Bastelbogen
In the movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry and his pals must capture a flying key to unlock a door. The problem is, there is a roomful of winged keys whizzing about and only one of them works on the door! This paper model depicts how the keys appear in the 2001 PC video game released in conjunction with the movie. In the game, the keys are gold when they are calm, but if "angered", they turn red. The PDF templates for both types of keys may be downloaded here. The finished keys are 4" (10 cm) long.

I don't release my own paper model designs as often as I once did. In fact, this is my first release since 2020! I hinted in 2018 I might release this particular papercraft.  Finally, today have I been able to follow through.

Other Harry Potter Papercraft:

Hogwarts Well
Quidditch Field
Death Eater Masks
Mini Marauder's Map
Origami Howler

August 21, 2022

Stitch Papercraft

Disney Stitch Bastelbogen
I am not sure of the origin of this Disney Stitch papercaft. There are some clues in the template, however. The instructions are in Japanese and there is a tiny note on the back of the base that says "Print: Epson". There is another note on the base that says "Not for sale". I can only assume this papercraft was a free promotional papercraft Disney did in cooperation with the Epson company. Perhaps when the movie was released?

The model is a typical Japanese design where the colored gluing tabs are on the outside of the model and the pieces are gently curved into place rather than folded into place with sharp creases. The PDF template for the model may be downloaded here. Sorry no printed instructions are available.

Other Lilo & Stitch Papercraft:

1:1 Stitch Ray Gun
Larger Stitch Paper Model

August 15, 2022

Pokeball Origami Gift Box

Pokemon Origami
Here's a neat pokeball origami gift box from Paper Kawaii. The box is created from five 15 x 15 cm squares of paper: 2 white, 2 red and 1 black. Paper Kawaii lists the difficulty of folding this origami creation four out of five stars. The instructions are in video format only. No folding diagrams are available.

Pokeballs are, of course, for catching Pokemon. So, you might want to put one inside the box when you are finished. Paper Kawaii has a Pikachu you can fold. Below are some other possibilities made out of paper for inside the box.  However with these, you might need to build the Pokemon smaller or the box bigger if you want the lid to close!

Eight Evolutions of Eevee
Quilava
Bulbasaur
Totodile

August 8, 2022

Life Size Prince of Persia Papercraft

Prince of Persia Bastelbogen
The Prince of Persia video game franchise got its start in 1989. Numerous games have been released since that time, the most recent to date being the 2018 mobile app, Prince of Persia: Escape. The protagonist of these games is a nameless hero known simply as "The Prince". This life size paper model of The Prince was created by DeviantART member Beav3rboy. It is based on a 3D model from the 2004 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within game. The unlocked Pepakura PDO template may be downloaded here. This model is not for beginners as the creator warns that some "manual modding" of the model may be required on the feet and sword to get things to come out right. The finished model is 75" (190 cm) tall.

Other Life Size Papercraft:

Master Yoda
R2-D2
Dragon Ball Z Characters
Pokemon Eevee
Baby Groot

July 31, 2022

Mannheim Water Tower Paper Model

Mannheim Wasserturm Bastelbogen
The ornate water tower in the city of Mannheim, Germany was completed in 1889. After being severely damaged in World War II, the tower was finally restored to its former glory in 1963. It continues to this day to stand as a symbol of the city of Mannheim. Sometime before 1999, a paper model of the tower was released by the Mannheim Supply and Transport Company in cooperation with publisher J. F. Schreiber. A copy of the template for this model may be downloaded here. The scale of the model is 1:220 or Z Scale. There are no instructions for the model other than the numbered exploded view diagram contained on one of the four pages of the template.

Other Papercraft Towers:

1934 Eiffel Papercraft
Vienna Wasserturm Bastelbogen
World Trade Center
Lukenwalde Market Tower
Japanese Cityscape

July 24, 2022

Poseable He-Man Papercraft

Masters of the Universe Bastelbogen
The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated television show was first broadcast in 1983. The protagonist of the show is Prince Adam, who by lifting his Power Sword in the air is transformed into the ultra-strong He-Man! This poseable papercraft He-Man was created by Titan Papercraft. The Pepakura PDO template for the figure may be downloaded here. Included in the download are an axe and a shield! In the 1987 live action Masters of the Universe movie, He-Man is played by Dolph Lundgren.

July 10, 2022

Sonic the Hedgehog Paper Model

Sonic Hedgehog Bastelbogen
With the release of his second live action movie, Sonic the Hedgehog continues his thirty year popularity streak. This paper model homage to Sonic was created by Pendragon Papercraft. The PDF template for the model may be downloaded here. The thing I like about this particular model is the accurate portrayal of Sonic's freakishly long nose. X )

Previous Sonic Papercraft:

Arby's Paper Toys

July 4, 2022

Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Papercraft

Mystery Machine Van Bastelbogen
No one knows for sure what type of van the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine is. The best guesses are that it is either a 1960's Dodge A100 or a Chevy panel van from the same period.  The van is owned by the blonde hunk Fred, who uses it to ferry the rest of the "meddling kids" to the next mystery to be solved. This paper model of the Mystery Machine is more detailed than most you will find. It has side and rear doors that actually open. Keeping the doors closed is a different story. However, if you apply your best paper engineering skills, I am sure a way can be found to close and latch the doors. This papercraft was created by DeviantART member Dumdumbot. The Pepakura PDO template for the van may be downloaded here. Oh, I should mention that the model comes with some tiny items to go in the back: a pizza box, some Scooby Snacks, and a desktop computer for researching mysteries.

Previous Scooby-Doo Papercraft:

Hot Wheels Scale Van
Scoob
Velma, Shaggy, and Daphne
RPG Miniature Mystery Machine

June 26, 2022

Cthulhu Papercraft

Lovecraft Bastelbogen
Papercraft creator extraordinaire, Rawen, has a free Cthulhu paper model available on his Patreon site. Rawen, a lover of all things Lovecraft, created this model as work of fan art. The printable PDF template for the model may be downloaded here. The character Cthulhu was introduced by H. P. Lovecraft in 1928. In his writings, Lovecraft described the monster as having "an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.”

June 23, 2022

WH40K Devastator Marine Papercraft

WH40K Bastelbogen
I consider DaiShiHUN to be a papercraft master. His builds are meticulous. Hardly a white paper edge shows anywhere. Pictured is an example of one of his builds: A Warhammer 40,000 Veteran Devastator Marine, Ultramarines Chapter. This paper model was created using a 3D model from the Dawn of War II: Retribution video game. The Pepakura PDO template for the model may be downloaded here. Included in the download is an alternate gun that is smaller than the one in the photo.

Other WH40K Papercraft:

Stormtalon Gunship
Celestian Battle Sister
Space Marine Dreadnought
Macharius Tank Repaint
Imperial Bunker

June 10, 2022

Low Poly Spider-Man Wall Art

Marvel Spider-Man Low Poly Bastelbogen
There is a lot of low poly papercraft on the Internet these days. Most of it, you have to pay to get it. So, I was delighted to find this free low poly Spider-Man wall sculpture recently. This is one of those paper models where you achieve color by printing a colorless template onto color cardstock.  Notice the chrome cardstock used for the eyes! If this papercraft is not life sized, it is close to it. The template and instructions may be found at Lacrafta. And I should also mention there are Iron Man, Captain America's shield, and Hulk low poly models available too! Check them out when you visit Lacrafta.

Other Spider-verse Papercraft:

Carnage Mask
PS4 Spidey
Black Cat Bust
Spider-Ham
Iron Spider

June 6, 2022

Wren Paper Model

Bird Bastelbogen
Johan Scherft creates paper models of birds; very realistic paper models. Even more amazing than the lifelike quality of his papercraft is the fact that the textures on his models are hand drawn! Scherft offers free samples of his work, one of which is this wren.  It may be downloaded here. Some of the other paper models available include a firecrest, a kingfisher and a bird-of-paradise.

Previous papercraft birds:

Humming Bird
Flying Magpie
Dodo
Java Sparrow
Moa

May 30, 2022

Tuk Tuk Paper Model

Auto Rickshaw Bastelbogen
In many cities around the world, three-wheeled taxis are common. The generic name for these taxis is "auto rickshaw", however each country has their own nickname for the vehicle. In Thailand, an auto rickshaw is called a "tuk tuk". This intricately detailed tuk tuk paper model is the work of  Japanese papercraft designer, Fujitama. After admiring a friend's customized tuk tuk, Fujitama was inspired to create an exact replica of the taxi. Fujitama was kind enough to share a PDF template for the model here. Photo instructions are available as well. The scale of the finished papercraft is 1:12.

Other Papercraft Vehicles:
Fiat Abarth 500

May 15, 2022

Illusion Papercraft Collection

Illusion Animal Bastelbogen
The folks at the education website, e*chalk, have a collection of papercraft illusions available for download. Sure, you know the illusion, the one where the character's head turns to follow you no matter where you move in the room. E*chalk calls their version of this trick "Swivel Heads". Four of the twelve illusions available are pictured. The ones not pictured are a cat, a fox, a dragon, a knight, a duck, a horse, a rooster and a skeleton. I wouldn't build too many of these.  The effect of a dozen pair of eyes following your every move can be kind of creepy! ;)

Other Illusion Papercraft:

Robot Dog
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Rolling Dice
Doge the Shiba Inu
Disney Hitchhiking Ghosts

May 8, 2022

Daffy Duck Papercraft

Looney Tunes Bastelbogen
I think this Daffy Duck paper model captures well the ill tempered fowl's personality. Daffy made his debut as an animated cartoon character in 1937. In the beginning, he had a much more cheerful, albeit insane, disposition. In later years he became less crazy, but more disgruntled, primarily due to the schemes of his nemesis, Bugs Bunny. This papercraft was created by Paperttore. The printable PDF and Pepakura PDO templates may be downloaded here. The finished model stands 17.7" (45 cm) tall.

May 1, 2022

Life Size Pokemon Papercraft: Eevee

When it comes to 1:1 scale papercraft, there haven't been many Pokemon models created. One exception is this life size Eevee paper model by Sabi96. The color PDF template for this model comes with a companion untextured Pepakura PDO file to use as instructions. All the files are available here. The finished model is 12" (30.5 cm) tall. Eight different Pokemon evolve from Eevee (see paper toys of them here).

Other Life Size Papercraft:

Yoda
Hulk
Majora's Mask
Baby Groot
DBZ Vegeta

April 24, 2022

Medieval Inn and Cottage Paper Models

Middle Ages Bastelbogen
These half timbered medieval buildings are a good example of how papercraft designers sometimes build on each other's work. The original black and white templates for these models by designer Brian Burger were hand drawn. Some years later, the "Professor" (Chris Spitler) at Paper Empire "digitally enhanced" the templates adding color and bases. The enhanced PDF template for the inn and the cottage may be downloaded at the bottom of the page here. These models are a good size for miniature gaming!

Other Papercraft Buildings:

German Inn and Bakery
Czech Fortress
Medieval Village Buildings
Tent Collection
Vintage Mini Castles

April 18, 2022

Dune 1984 Mini Paper Model Collection

Dune 1984 Bastelbogen
PRmodels does it again: another awesome collection of mini sci-fi papercraft! This time it is a set of objects from the 1984 movie, Dune. Pictured are a harvester, a sand worm, the emperor's selamlik, and the House Atreides frigate. Also included, but not pictured, are a Spacing Guild heighliner, a carryall, the Atreides ornithopter, and the Harkonnen ornithopter. The PDF templates for each of these eight models may be downloaded here. After Dune 1984, it would be 37 years before another Dune move was released.

April 9, 2022

Chibi Batman Papercraft

Batman Bastelbogen
I like the stern smirk on the face of this chibi Batman papercraft. His costume appears to be the traditional comic book version and not one of the versions that has appeared in movies or video games. This model was created by Paperwar in 2014. The finished figure stands about 8" (20 cm) tall. The locked Pepakura PDO template may be downloaded here. The template may be opened with Pepakura Viewer without a password. The newest movie about the Dark Knight, The Batman, was released in US theaters on March 4, 2022.

March 31, 2022

Montgolfier Balloon Papercraft

Montgolfier Bastelbogen
I don't know much about this paper model of one of the Montgolfier brother's balloons. It appears to be from a 1988 magazine. The instructions are in French.  I can make out that the balloon depicted by the model flew in 1783 (the year of the first flight by a human in a hot air balloon, I believe). The JPG format pages of the template may be downloaded here. The person who posted the model warns it is not as easy to build as it looks. Due in part to the Montgolfier's experiments, France became the first county to use balloons for aerial reconnaissance (during the French Revolutionary Wars in the 1790's).

Other Paper Models of Flying Things:

March 22, 2022

Country Church Paper Model

Kirke Bastelbogen
This country church is part of a collection of architecture paper models based on buildings seen in the Hallmark Channel series, When Calls the Heart. The series is set in 1910 in the fictional Canadian town of Hope Valley. The papercraft collection includes 18 different models including various mercantile buildings, a water tower, row houses, ground textures, and backdrops. Whether you are a fan of the show or not, I think these models would make a great Christmas village. Printable PDFs for each of the buildings may be downloaded here.

Other Papercraft Buildings:

Old West Saloon
Lincoln Bicentennial Architecture
German Village
Hungarian Buildings
Native American Houses

March 13, 2022

Mini Aliens Paper Model Collection

Science Fiction Bastelbogen
This collection of mini paper models contains the iconic vehicles seen in the 1986 movie, Aliens. Pictured are the UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship, the M577 Armored Personnel Carrier, and the P-5000 Powered Work Loader which Ripley uses to fight the Xenomorph Queen. All these models are 1:250 scale (which makes the Loader extremely small!) The PDF templates for the models may be downloaded here. Build photo and model design by PRmodels.

March 6, 2022

Ukrainian Easter Egg Papercraft

Pysanka Bastelbogen
I wanted to post something to show support for the people of Ukraine. As we are drawing near Easter, it seemed good to post this Ukrainian Easter egg papercraft by Homespun Magixx. These style of decorated eggs are a folk tradition in the Ukraine known as "pysanky". The process of creating a pysanka involves a dye and wax process similar to batik. The process of creating this papercraft egg involves gluing together spiral strips of card stock. This particular egg has, most fittingly, peace doves on it. My prayer for Ukraine is for swift and lasting peace.

Other Papercraft Eggs:

February 28, 2022

DC Comics Green Arrow Papercraft

Green Arrow Bastelbogen
I don't know much about this paper model of the DC Comics character Green Arrow. The few things I do know: 1) It was designed by someone named Cesar da Mata, 2) it has a lot of small pieces (264 to be exact) and 3) the finished model is 16.7" (42 cm) tall. The construction process is complex and there are no instructions, so this model is not recommended for beginners. PDF and Pepakura PDF templates may be downloaded here. Despite the similarities of Green Arrow to the Marvel character, Hawkeye, Green Arrow has been around much longer. Green Arrow first appeared in 1941. Hawkeye first appeared in 1964.

Other DC Papercraft:

Dark Knight Cowl
Flying Superman
Green Lantern Rings of Power
Arkham City Harley Quinn
John Constantine Bust

February 26, 2022

McDonald's Restaurant Building Paper Model

McDonald's Architecture Bastelbogen
This small scale paper model of a McDonald's building was created by a papercraft designer in Japan. I haven't seen a McDonald's like this in the US, so I assume this is the typical architectural design of the restaurants in Japan. The template for the model is a single page with only 6 parts, an easy build. The PDF template may be downloaded here. Photo instructions may viewed here. The first McDonald's restaurant in Japan opened in 1971.

Other Paper Architecture:

Tokyo Shopping District Diorama
Mini World Architecture Series
Philippines Buildings Collection
NYC Guggenheim Museum
N Scale Urban Buildings

February 20, 2022

Chibi Gundam Papercraft

I must say, these are the cutest Gundam paper models I have come across. The larger figures are only 5 cm tall. Unlike most 3D papercraft, these models are constructed using color cardstock rather than printing the colors with ink on white cardstock. The PDF template for the models may be downloaded at WXY Paper. Visual instructions are included.  The Gundam franchise began in 1979 with the release of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime.

Other Papercraft Mechs:

Madcat Automata
RX-78-2
Robot Missile Tank
Front Mission 4 Mechs
OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon

February 5, 2022

Pokemon Papercraft: Totodile

Pokemon Bastelbogen
In one episode of the Pokeman anime, Ash and Misty battle in the wild for possession of a Totodile. Ash wins the match and adds the Totodile to his team. Totodiles are playful, crocodile-like Pokemon with extremely strong jaws. This papercraft Totodile was created by Tenpepakura. The PDF template for the model may be downloaded here.

Other Pokemon Papercraft:

Boxy Pikachu
Quilava
Meowth Hot Air Balloon
Mewtwo
Bulbasaur

January 30, 2022

Roman Siege Tower Papercraft

Siege Engine Bastelbogen
These papercraft Roman siege towers were created as an educational activity to teach kids what warfare was like 2000 years ago. The accompanying literature outlines how the Romans used such towers to besiege Jerusalem in 70 AD. In addition to the siege tower, the papercraft set includes 15mm scale soldiers, a catapult, and a ballista. (Sorry, a castle to besiege is not included!) The template for the tower may be downloaded here (right click on the images and pick "save image as"). I am impressed this model was drawn by hand! Build photos by William Webb.

Other Paper Models of Weapons of War:

Catapult
Trebuchet
Leonardo's Turtle Tank
Historic Soldiers

January 22, 2022

Printable Sundial Collection

 I have always been fascinated by how many different types of sundials there are. The educational website, Astronomy for Thinkers, offers printable templates of five different types of sundials that have been used over the ages. Pictured above are a cube sundial, an equatorial sundial, a hemispherical sundial, and a horizontal sundial. Also available, but not pictured, is a butterfly sundial. Each sundial may be customized for your particular latitude on the planet. The earliest sundials were thought to have been created around 1500 BC.

Previous Astronomy Papercraft:

Polyhedron Skyglobe
Glue-less Earth Puzzle
Planets of the Solar System
Renaissance Crucifix Sundial
Mars Topographic Globe