Introduction: Hypercard - an Impossible Paper Object

About: I love building things and taking pictures.

This is a very impressive little paper novelty that can be made form two index cards or paper. Some people like to call this a hypercard as it achieves a very strange effect.

The effect is that two tabs are cut out on an index card/piece of paper but the way they are presented, they are fused together such that they couldn't have been cut out in the normal fashion.

Step 1: Materials

You will need:

  1. 1 Double sided black index card (these are somewhat hard to find You could alternatively use two index cards glued together lined side in or you could just use regular paper albeit much less durable).
  2. 1 regular index card (the lines on this second index card accentuate the cuts on the other index card...I used a 4x6 index card for greater contrast).
  3. Glue Stick
  4. Scissors

Step 2: Make the Cuts

Three cuts need to be made in the card. Start by holding the card with one long side facing yourself. The first cut and third cuts are made made about a third of the way and two-thirds of the way down the card, respectively. The middle cut is made on the opposite side of the card. The three cuts should only extend to the halfway point of the card.

Step 3: Fold

To make the hypercard, you need to twist the card. Orient the card with the two cuts facing yourself. Start by grabbing the card in your right hand with the fingers on the front of the card and the thumb on the back. With the left hand, grab the card with the left thumb on the same side as the right fingers and left fingers on the same side as right thumb. Then twist the right hand 180 degrees and crease forwards and backwards.

Step 4: Glue

This is the almost completed hyper card. However, anybody you show this to can un-twist the card and re-create exactly how the card was made. To prevent this, the card can be glued down to another index card. Line up where you want the card to be, apply glue and stick to the index card. Try to make the two opposite ends as straight as possible so that the card looks like the two pieces were really cut out and somehow perfectly fused together.

Step 5: Sit Back and Relax.

You are now completed with your hypercard. Show this to friends and family to confuse them with its strange fused middle.

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