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How to Make a Pop-Up Photograph

by on Sep 14, 2007

A girl image was popped up in the drawing paper along with the thorns and other images.

As a young girl, I had a slight obsession with pop-up books. I would collect them, display them open on our family coffee table and pretend they were a little community of people in The World of Erin.

And NOW? Now I want to make a community of actual people in The World of Erin. People I really know, from photographs I really have. Because, hey, I’m weird.

WikiHow shows us how to make it happen:

  1. Choose a photo of a background or vista. This image will be folded in half so that the top of the image is the “backdrop” and the bottom of the image is the “floor” or “ground.” You can use two different photos, one for the top, another for the bottom, and glue them onto a sheet of paper.
  2. Girl is explaining how to make a pop-up photograph.
    A solitary large cactus with two arms.

    Cut out separate photos of the objects you want to pop up in front of the background.

  3. DIY steps to make a pop up photograph.

    Fold the background photo in half (photo on the inside) and press along the fold. Keep the photo folded.

  4. "Pop-Up Photograph using two Photos"

    Make two parallel cuts of the same length into the fold of the photo (about 1/2 to 1 inch apart). The longer these cuts, the further the image will sit from the background. The cuts should not be longer than the height of your cutout photo and the width between them should not be wider than your cutout photo, either.

  5. Arrow marked drawing is drawn and the scissors are drawn in the paper.

    Make another set of cuts for each additional photo.

  6. Steps to make a pop up photograph.

    Fold the tabs between the cuts back and forth, pressing them flat.

  7. Arrows are drawn next to an object in blue ink.

    Return the tabs to the flat position.

  8. A hand is inserting into a hole model image drawing is showing the arrow mark.
    Choose in-focus photo elements that are simple to clip out.

    Open the photo halfway to 90 degrees. Use your finger to push each tab forward into the center of the photo, creating pop-up boxes.

  9. A sketch of a DIY photo project.

    Glue your cutout photos to the front of each pop-up box to create a pop-up scene. The finished pop-up has a spatial sense that is both surreal and enchanting.

    A person is standing near two cactuses in a drawing.

 

Tips

  • Print photos on matte rather than glossy paper to make cutting, folding, and gluing easier.
  • Choose photo backgrounds that are relatively plain landscapes or interiors.
  • Choose photo objects that are in focus and easy to cut out.

 

Things You’ll Need

  • Several photos or several copies of the same photo that can be cut apart
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick

 

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