Pop Up Bug

Supplies

Heavyweight white paper or cardstock

Scissors

Glue

Instructions

Click on printables and print out all the bug pieces and bug card on heavy paper, like card stock or construction paper. You'll also find complete illustrated instructions here.

Using a ruler as a guide, take the rounded end of a paper clip (or ballpoint pen that has run out of ink) and press along the dotted lines of the pop-up pieces and card.

Carefully cut out your bug pop-up pieces and card following the solid black line around the shapes. When you're done you should have 5 pop-up pieces and 1 card.

Take your card and fold it in half. Unfold and put it back to its original position.  Take pop-up piece “A”. Fold it in half towards you.

Fold and crease the bottom left tab up. Crease well and unfold. Repeat for the bottom right tab.

Fold and crease the top left tab back. Crease well and unfold. Repeat for the top right tab.

Take pop-up piece “B”. Fold it in half towards you.

Fold the bottom left tab up. Crease well and unfold. Repeat for the bottom right tab.

Fold and crease the top left tab back. Crease well and unfold... Repeat for the top right tab.

Repeat steps with piece “C”

Take the body piece and fold it in half away from you. Crease well and unfold.

Take the wings and fold them in half towards you. Crease well and unfold.

Fold the top left tab towards you. Crease well and unfold.  Repeat for the top right tab.

Fold the wings in half again, then fold along the dotted line back... ...and forth. Open the wings and push the back section downwards, along the folds you just made.

Your wings now look like this when closed. Set this piece aside for now.

Take the card and apply a small amount of glue to the grey areas labeled “A”.

Take piece “A” and match the tabs with the gray areas. Piece “A” lies flat, and the middle fold should line up with the middle fold of the card.

Press the left tab down first...  ...then the right side. Press down on both tabs firmly and allow the glue to dry.

Now apply a small amount of glue to the grey area on the left, labeled “B”.

Take piece “B” and match the left tab with the gray areas. Piece “B” lies flat, and the middle fold should line up with the middle fold of the card. Press the tab down firmly and allow the glue to dry.  Repeat steps on the right.

Apply a small amount of glue to the grey area on the left, labeled “C”.

Take piece “C” and match the left tab with the gray area. The piece lies flat, and the middle fold should line up with the middle fold of the card.

Press the tab down firmly and allow the glue to dry.

Repeat steps on the right side.

Wait until the glue is dry. Then, as a test, carefully close the card to make sure the legs are moving correctly. You can give them a little help with your fingers if they're stuck in their flat positions.

Press everything flat and apply small amounts of glue to all of the upper tabs on the left.

Fold the body piece in half and line its head up with the head-shaped tabs at the top. Make sure the middle fold of the body lines up with the middle fold of the card.

Press the left side down firmly, making sure that all the tabs underneath are sticking to the underside of the body.  Repeat this step on the right side.

Wait until the glue is dry. Then, as a test, carefully close the card to make sure the legs and body are moving correctly.

Press everything flat again. Apply a small amount of glue on the body’s left side in the grey area, labeled “D”

Line up the tabs of the wing piece with the grey areas on the body. Make sure the fold on the middle of the wings lines up with the fold in the middle of the card.

Press the left tab down firmly.Repeat on the right side.

Make sure all the pieces are completely dry before closing the card. The Bug moves backward and the wings move upward as the card closes.

Close the Bug card all the way.

Open the card and your Bug jumps forward, ready for you to color!.