Product Description

Paper Engineering & Pop–ups For Dummies covers a wide range of projects, from greeting cards to freestanding models. Easy–to–follow, step–by–step instructions and dozens of accompanying diagrams help readers not only to complete the diverse projects in the book, but also master the skills necessary to apply their own creativity and create new projects, beyond the book′s pages.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15377 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

From the Back Cover

Get creative with paper projects the whole family will enjoy!

Are you passionate about paper crafts? This fun, easy–to–follow guide is packed with a wide range of projects that use simple techniques and tools. Step–by–step directions and diagrams show you how to make eye–catching cards, animated models, pop–ups, and much more. Plus, you′ll take your paper engineering skills to the next level as you learn to invent your own unique creations!

• Unfold the wonders of paper engineering — understand different papers and projects, review the tools of the trade, and set up your workshop

• Create classy, crafty greeting cards — choose the right color, make cute cutouts, primp it up with embellishments, and work with decoupage and montage

• Make eye–popping pop–ups — from layers and photos to pull tabs, crossfades, and multi–page books, master the techniques

• Add life to your paper — explore the fascinating world of paper sculpture and animation through clever cam models, levers, linkages, and more

• Draft your own designs and creations — develop your ideas, make the transition from sketch to model, enhance your designs with color, and use your computer to help

Open the book and find:

• The most popular paper engineering crafts, explained step by step

• All the basic concepts and techniques you need

• Photos and illustrations to guide you

• Tips for perfect model making

• Ways to recycle and reuse materials

• Tricks for designing with software

• Paper crafting mistakes to avoid

• Inspiration for creating your own designs

About the Author

Rob Ives is a renowned paper engineer and paper crafter, having designed everything from mechanical flying pigs to 3–D stars to pop–up holiday cards. He specializes in teaching others how to create their own models by following his succinct step–by–step instructions and diagrams.

Customer Reviews

Great content, but poor quality book.
This book is extremely thorough with great explanations of how to creat pop up items. Its also really good for basic ways in which to treat paper -cutting, scoring, sticking, folding, storing - extremely comprehensive and as such a great introduction to papercraft in general. Lots of helpful diagrams so I'd give it 10/10 for that. However, the quality of the book is poor - the backing is really thin card and the paper itself is that grey-ish recycled quality. I could cope with that but it is so thin you can see the text / diagrams shining through. Had I seen the quality before buying I'd have thought twice. There's not a huge discount on this book either. (Just 15% at time of writing.). That said, I'd probably buy again - its very readable, and I like the authors style - as if he was running a workshop - lots of good advice. I've given four stars - the missing one is to do with the physical quality of the book.

Disappointed
Throughout the years I have bought quite a lot of "for Dummies"-books, they give me a good knowledge about things that I find interesting.
This time, though, I was more then disappointed. Not about the context of the book, I have read different books written by the author, Rob Ives, and they are all good. But the quality of the printing and the paper are far bellow an acceptable standard. Unfortunately, this time the editor chose a paper quality comparable to those we can find on the cheapest newspapers you can get in the poorest countries on the world: This greyish paper, that make all the photos show in low contrast, is cheap and annoying from front to back cover.
In fact, after seeing this, I am sure that I am not going to order any new books from this series, until I am sure that the quality is back to normal again.
Sorry,
Georg Ulvehøj
Norway

Paper Engineering for Dummies
This is a fantastically useful book if you are interested in creating automata, or making greetings cards which go further than merely transmitting good wishes. The illustrations and instructions are clear and comprehensible, but don't insult you by treating you as if you have never seen a pair of scissors before! It does not assume that you necessarily possess a high level of drawing or manual ability, explaining how to solve problems to do with the work, both creative and practical, in a helpful, kindly fashion.
I have only one criticism: the paper the book is printed on is a very poor quality woodpulp paper, like the paper free newspapers are printed on. Like them, it will not survive the passage of time very well. I appreciate that the "Dummies" series is keenly produced down to a price, but cheapo is not quite the same as economical, nor can the use of this sort of paper be defended as being particularly ecological. This is a book to keep by you constantly as you work; if it disintegrates after a few years, where would you get another?