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.
Watch the folds and cuts
The video has Chinese audio and on-screen text. Use the written chapter guide below to follow the actions. Times are chapter entry points.
The printable follows the detailed butterfly shown at the end of the video. Keep the outer wing arcs attached; beginners can start with the outline and add the fine fan cuts later.
From one A4 sheet to your paper cut
One half · 2 layers
Fold the left half onto the right along the vertical center. The closed fold is the straight left edge of the half-pattern. Keep both layers aligned.
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. Prepare the paper
Print at 100% and check the 50 mm line. Use the square blank on page 1 and mark its center.
2. Fold in this order
Fold the left half onto the right along the vertical center. The closed fold is the straight left edge of the half-pattern. Keep both layers aligned.
3. Cut the inner details first
On the folded stack, cut teardrops, then the fine fan cuts. Work on the red lines; the tan outer margin still supports the paper.
4. Cut the outer edge last
Follow the red outer contour on page 3 and discard the tan margin. Keep the black paper touching the blue folded edges connected.
5. Unfold in reverse order
Separate the layers in reverse folding order. The folded unit repeats by reflection; compare every motif and connection with page 1.
6. Flatten the finished piece
Support the fine bridges and press between clean sheets. If unsure, try the matching paper and layer count in the online studio.
Blue dashes locate a fold; red marks the next cut. Keep the black connecting paper. Layer counts are calculated; paper strength has not been physically tested.
PDF page 1 is the full-size pattern and paper outline; page 2 shows the folds, page 3 the folded cuts, and the following pages the opening and finishing steps. 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 butterfly with open wings and long teardrop openings. The PDF is a cutting study; the SVG contains editable vector outlines.