Know what stays. Know what goes.
The printable shows the full, upright design. Check the folding notes below before choosing how to prepare the sheet.
Preserve narrow connections between shapes. Loose shapes need a backing sheet or separate placement; the drawing has not been physically tested for connectivity.
From one A4 sheet to your paper cut
Keep this design flat
The curved handle and head are directional, not a mirrored shape.
Start with a complete, uncut sheet. Each picture shows the paper before that step; red dashes mark only the next cuts. Keep the surrounding paper until the outside-cutting step.
1. Start with a full A4 sheet
Take one blank A4 sheet (210 x 297 mm), preferably thin colored paper. Print PDF page 1 separately at 100% and check its 50 mm line. Center the pattern on your blank sheet; do not cut off the surrounding paper yet.
2. Transfer the complete drawing
Keep the ruyi flat: its curved handle is not mirrored. Trace the full outline and mark the head opening, the long handle slit and the small end hole. Leave the surrounding sheet intact to support the handle.
3. Cut the inside first
An adult starts the closed openings on a cutting mat. Cut the cloud-shaped head opening, then the handle slit and small end hole. Follow each side of the slit separately; keep the narrow handle edges and the join below the head intact.
4. Release the outside contour
Cut around the rounded head and curved handle last, using short cuts at the bend. Do not fold or straighten the handle. Lift the finished piece with support beneath both the head and the handle so the neck does not tear.
5. Lift and refine
Gently release the cut design from the surrounding offcuts. Lay it flat and trim only attached scraps or uneven edges. Preserve the thin curved handle and its join to the head. A finished opening does not need to be cut again.
Use an open sheet to preserve this exact design. You can make a separate mirrored variation, but it will change the supplied pattern.
PDF page 1 is the clean full-size pattern; pages 2–3 show this complete sequence. A4 is the default; the Letter download uses a Letter sheet. Try a scrap first to check fragile bridges.
Print, prepare, and make
Match the PDF to your paper size and check the 50 mm scale line. Keep the pattern-specific folding sequence above beside you as you work.
Printing a paper cutting template · From download to finished paper cut · Printing and cutting troubleshooting
Paper and tools
Try the paper and tools on a scrap first. Difficulty and time are planning estimates; complete a trial before preparing a group activity.
Paper cutting tools and materialsAbout this template
A full, upright ruyi wish design adapted from the interactive studio. Follow its folding notes to prepare the paper and finish the details. The PDF is a cutting study; the SVG contains editable vector outlines.
Meaning of the motif
May wishes come true · Ruyi Wish
Read the cultural context and sources for the recognizable motif. Its use can vary by occasion and tradition.