Paper Bird. Pendulum Powered Paper Project

Paper Bird is a pendulum powered project. Move the box, even slightly, and the bird comes to life bobbing up and down.
Download the parts sheets here

You can download the parts for this project for free on the robives.com website here.

The download comes in both colour and line only for your own colour scheme. Print out the first two pages onto thin card. (230 micron / 230 gsm) The third page has only a few hinges. these need to be extra flexible so this page should be printed onto standard printer page. (80gsm)

Score along the dotted lines and carefully cut out the holes with a sharp knife before cutting out the parts.

Step 1:

Glue together the three parts that make the body.

Step 2:

Fold up and glue together the body inner then glue it into place so that the back edge lines up with the small black dot on the outside of the body. (Arrowed)

Step 3:

Glue the wide hinge and one of the two small hinges into place as shown.

Step 4:

Assemble the legs then glue them to the wide paper hinge as shown. Make sure not to get any glue on the crease.

Step 5:

Fold round and glue together the box top stiffener and glue it onto the underside of the box lid so that it is lined up with the edge of the central hole. Glue the two leg supports into place lined up with the edges of the small holes as shown.

Step 6:

Fold together and glue the long tab on the pendulum to make double thickness card.

Assemble the pendulum.

Glue the two paper hinges into place. The larger of the two remaining hinges is on the left and should be glued vertically down the pendulum.

Step 7:

Thread the feet through the hole in the box and line up the angled step with the top of the box before gluing it to the leg supports.

Step 8:

Glue the rest of the box into place.

Step 9:

Glue the box lid down.

Step 10:

Drop the pendulum into place in the hole in the top of the box and glue the hinge to the top of the box.

Step 11:

Fit the push rod between the pendulum and the bird.

Step 12:

Wrap two coins in some off-cuts of card. I used UK 2p pieces. These are 25mm in diameter and weigh 7g each.

Step 13:

Glue the coins to the end of the pendulum.

Step 14:

Glue the base to the box.

Step 15:

That's it! Taps the box and the bird will bob about pleasingly!