How to Make Pop-ups:
A guide to books about making pop-ups

YOU asked for it, YOU got it! The official list of books about how to make pop-ups!

Although we wish it wasn’t so, please keep in mind that sometimes books go out-of-print so some of the books below may not be available. For out-of-print books try abebooks.com.

Beginner

Aotsu, Yoku. How to Make Pop-up Pictures! Dai-Nippon, 1993. ISBN: 499-33052-1. $36.00. 21 x 26 cm. 66 pages hardcover, simple black and white instructional illustrations, black and white and full color photos of all finished projects. Japanese text.

Areas covered: V-fold, parallelograms (layers), coils, basic box, simple tab mechanisms and simple book binding. Lessons or projects: Approximately 28 projects, each creating a finished object: animal, flower, house, etc.
Intended audience: Children.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated instructions. Many photographs of finished projects.
Disadvantages: Japanese text (if you don't read Japanese). No templates or patterns to trace or cut out. You must estimate measurements based on the picture instructions.

Campbell, Jeanette R. Pop-up Animals and more! Evan-Moor, 1989. ISBN: 1-55799-159-6. $5.95. 22 x 28 cm. 48 pages, soft cover, humorous black and white illustrations.

Areas covered: Single V-fold and multiple fold V-fold. Lessons or projects: 19 projects, each creating a different animal folded into a card.
Intended audience: Teachers and their students.
Advantages: Patterns for all projects which are intended to be photocopied onto construction paper. Simple curriculum ideas for the classroom.
Disadvantages: Only two pop-up principles. Does not go into further possibilities beyond animals.

Gibson, Ray and Louisa Somerville. The Usborne Book of Pop-ups. Usborne Publishing, 1990. ISBN: 0-7460-1273-x. $5.95. 20 x 25 cm. 32 pages, soft cover, humorous full color illustrations. Areas covered: V-fold, layers, very simple tab mechanism, coils, rotating wheel (using paper fastener).

Lessons or projects: Approximately 17 projects each creating a finished object. Many "spooky" projects: ghost, bat, mummy's tomb, Cancan pigs.
Intended audience: Children.
Advantages: Many projects have "other ideas" so the pop-up maker can expand on what has been learned. "Tips" are given throughout for extra help. The last two pages have templates to trace for a few of the projects.
Disadvantages: Instructions are clear but each step is not numbered possibly causing slight confusion.

Irvine, Joan. How to Make Pop-ups. Beech Tree Books (William Morrow), 1991. ISBN: 0-688-07902-4. $6.95. 21 x 24 cm. 96 pages, soft cover, humorous black and white illustrations.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, coils, springs, simple tab mechanisms, simple revolving wheel, simple book binding.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 30 projects, each creating a finished object: mouths, waving arms, animals, etc.
Intended audience: Children.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated and numbered instructions. Has "Combining ideas" and "Make your own pop-up book" sections.
Disadvantages: No patterns to trace or photocopy but measurements are given for all projects.

Irvine, Joan. How to Make Holiday Pop-ups. Beech Tree Books (William Morrow), 1995. ISBN: 0-688-13610-9. $6.95. 21 x 24 cm. 64 pages, soft cover, humorous full color illustrations.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers and very simple tab mechanism.
Lessons or projects: 30 projects, each creating a finished object in a card for a specific holiday when completed.
Intended audience: Children.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated and numbered instructions. Not only teaches pop-up but introduces many holidays that young readers may not be familiar with.
Disadvantages: No patterns to trace or photocopy but measurements are given for all projects.

Johnson, Paul. Pop-up Paper Engineering. Cross-curricular Activities in Design Technology, English and Art. The Falmer Press, 1992. ISBN: 1-85000-909-0. $26.95, 19 x 25 cm. 116 pages, soft cover, simple black and white illustrations and color photos of some finished projects.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, simple tab mechanisms.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 45 lessons each explaining a pop-up principle with project applications. More academic than other titles.
Intended audience: Teachers of young children.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated instructions. Well paced and planned for classroom activities.
Disadvantages: No templates/patterns to trace or photocopy. Very few measurements given for projects, although the author states "It is understanding the concept that matters."

Kenneway, Eric. Making Pop-up Greeting Cards. Mills & Boon, Ltd. (London), 1972. ISBN: 0-263-05065-3. 15 x 21 cm. 96 pages hardcover, simple black and red illustrations with a few black and white photos of finished projects.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, pleated fan, simple tab mechanisms, simple book binding, pop-open box.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 22 projects each creating a finished object: mouths, waving arms, etc.
Intended audience: Children and adults.
Advantages: Lessons clearly illustrated. Pop-open box is unusual and original.
Disadvantages: Title is assumed to be out-of-print, but as a note of interest is included here because it seems to be the earliest instruction book for making pop-ups.

Nelson, Tom ("Pope of Pop-up" as advertised). Perfect Pop-up - Greeting Cards the Easy Way. Self published: 800 Washington Ave. North, Minneapolis, MN 55401. 1994. $10.00. 22 x 28 cm. 32 pages, soft cover, simple black and white illustrations, a few black and white photos.

Areas covered: V-fold and layers.
Lessons or projects: 8 lessons each explaining a pop-up principle with ideas for a project.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated. 8 templates included at the end of the book (4 of which are card stock templates in an envelope on the last page). Extremely thorough text explaining the very basics of pop-ups. Tips for rubber stamping images in case you're not an artist.
Disadvantages: Wish there were more lessons.

Intermediate

Hiner, Mark. Paper Engineering for Pop-up Books and Cards. Tarquin Publications, 1985. ISBN: 0-906212-49-9. $11.95. 30 x 21 cm. 48 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white illustrations filled with flat areas of colors.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, box, rotating disc, basic tab mechanisms.
Lessons or projects: 10 lessons, each demonstrating a pop-up principle.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated with lessons that are to be cut from the pages and actually assembled. Includes sidebars of "Technical considerations" and ideas for specific projects. Considered a classic.
Disadvantages: Where's the sequel?

Irvine, Joan. How to Make Super-pops. Beech Tree Books, 1992. ISBN: 0-688-11521-7. $6.95. 21 x 24 cm. 96 pages. Soft cover, humorous black and white illustrations.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, full 360 degree 3-D structures, cones, tab mechanisms, "Volvelle" (rhymes with pole-bell); interlocking Victorian turning circle, audio mechanisms, rubber band mechanisms, pop-up masks, large scale pop-ups.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 30 projects of wide variety, each creating a finished object.
Intended audience: Children.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated with numbered instructions. Excellent projects, many quite challenging and requiring up to 20 steps. Some patterns to trace or photocopy.
Disadvantages: Could use a few more patterns.

Jackson, Paul. The Pop-up Book. Henry Holt & Co., 1993. ISBN: 0-8050-2884-6. $18.95. 23 x 28 cm. 160 pages. Soft cover, color illustrations and photos.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers and full 360 degree 3-D structures.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 20 projects many making abstract or geometric forms. Variation ideas given for some of the projects.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Instructions clearly numbered and accompanied by photos. Has a gallery of many more finished pop-up projects (although most are much more advanced than the book's lessons).
Disadvantages: No templates or patterns to trace or photocopy but measurements are given. Too many abstract projects.

Munneke, Idelette. Pop-ups Zelf Maken. Cantecleer, 1988 (Unknown if still in print, given to me as a gift). ISBN: 90-213-0430-9. Price unknown. 14 x 21 cm. 60 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white illustrations and color photos. German text.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, full 360 degree 3-D structures.
Lessons or projects: 31 projects, each creating a finished object: some abstract forms, others scenes with people and animals.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Actual size patterns given which can be photocopied to make the pops. Most projects are layer variety requiring very few steps. Others are quite complex.
Disadvantages: Only a few pop-up principles given. Could be more diverse.

Palmer, Mike. Pop-up Greeting Cards. Chartwell Books, 1993. ISBN: 1-55521-897-0. $12.98. 22 x 28 cm. 112 pages. Hardcover, color illustrations and photos.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, full 360 degree 3-D structures, box, paper chains, simple envelopes.
Lessons or projects: 38 projects, each creating a finished object most of which are holiday themed.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Instructions clearly numbered and accompanied by photos. Great projects. Has "star" rating system for complexity of projects. Grid patterns for each project included which can be enlarged.
Disadvantages: Could use a few more pop-up principles.

Watt, Fiona. The Usborne Book of Paper Engineering. Usborne Publishing, 1997. ISBN: 0-7460-2327-8. 20 x 25 cm. 32 pages. Soft cover, color illustrations and photos.

Areas covered: V-fold, layers, full 360 degree 3-D structures, tab mechanisms, "twisting box heads" (not pop-ups), automaton of squawking bird.
Lessons or projects: 12 projects, each creating a finished object: animals, 3-D scenes, decorated boxes.
Intended audience: Children and adults.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated and numbered instructions. Templates to trace for every project. Interesting projects, some very challenging.
Disadvantages: Many projects are not actually pop-ups even though the title does say "paper engineering" (but who says "paper engineering" has to mean pop-ups?). Several projects are 3-D paper constructed projects only, and may be too complex for younger pop-up makers.

Advanced

Birmingham, Duncan. Pop Up! A Manual of Paper Mechanisms. Tarquin Publications, 1997. ISBN: 1-899618-09-0. $18.95. 18 x 25 cm. 96 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white illustrations.

Areas covered: Almost everything known to the field of pop-ups and paper engineering.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 60, mostly paper engineering lessons and principles. Applications of the principles to specific projects are given.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: The most thorough book to date on the subject. Many lessons are known only to commercial paper engineers. Excellent for those serious about commercial, complex pop-ups.
Disadvantages: No templates or patterns given to trace or photocopy. A great deal of math is used in the text (most of which went right over my head, but I'm a really bad mathematician) , but you don't have to understand it to make the pop-ups.

Chatani, Masahiro. Pop-up Origami Architecture. Ondori, 1984. ISBN: 0-87040-656-6. $15.00. 18 x 26 cm. 88 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white instructional illustrations and photos plus color photos of some finished projects.

Areas covered: Very simple V-fold and layers, and more complex full 360 degree 3-D structures.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 40 projects, each creating a finished object (face, animal, building) or geometric shape.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: 23 of the simpler projects are to be cut from the pages and actually assembled. Full 360 degree 3-D structures (most of which are geometric) are amazing. Patterns are given for these.
Disadvantages: The more complex projects are very time-consuming and extremely delicate to construct. Many require rice paper for binding and string for attaching, although for those with patience (not me) it will certainly be rewarding.
Other titles in the Origamic Architecture Series by Mashiro Chatani (I realize this list is incomplete, but these are the only titles currently in print):

Paper Magic - Pop-up Paper Craft. Ondori, 1988. ISBN: 0-87040-757-0. $15.00. 18 x 26 cm. 90 pages. Soft cover.
Pop-up Gift Cards. Ondori, 1988. ISBN: 0-87040-768-6. $15.00. 18 x 26 cm. 80 pages. Soft cover.
Pop-up Greeting Cards. Ondori, 1986. ISBN: 0-87040-733-3. $15.00. 18 x 26 cm. 92 pages. Soft cover.
Pop-up Geometric Origami. With Keiko Nakazawa. Ondori, 1994. ISBN: 0-87040-953-3. $15.00. 18 x 26 cm. Soft cover.

Hiner, Mark. Up-pops - Paper Engineering with Elastic Bands. Tarquin Publications, 1991. ISBN: 0-906212-79-0. $11.95. 30 x 21 cm. 40 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white illustrations filled with flat areas of color.

Areas covered: Mechanisms that spring to 3-dimensions because of an elastic band placed within the structure.
Lessons or projects: 10, mostly creating finished geometric shapes.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated with lessons that are to be cut from the pages and actually assembled. Many projects are a bit challenging to construct.
Disadvantages: Where's the sequel?

Nakazawa, Keiko. Pop-up Best Greeting Cards. Ondori, 1995. ISBN: 0-87040-964-6. $17.00. 18 x 26 cm. 122 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white instructional illustrations and photos plus color photos of some finished projects.

Areas covered: Very simple layers and tents, more complex boxes and full 360 degree 3-D structures, simple envelopes.
Lessons or projects: Approximately 50 projects, each creating a finished object: animal, flower, building.
Advantages: Patterns to trace or photocopy of each project. Many beautiful and unusual designs.
Disadvantages: The more complex projects are very time-consuming and extremely delicate to construct. Many require rice paper for binding and string for attaching, but what results! Simple projects are really simple.

Uribe, Diego. Fractal Cuts. Tarquin Publications, 1993. ISBN: 0-906212-88-x. $17.95. 24 x 21 cm. 96 pages. Soft cover, simple black and white illustrations some filled with flat areas of color.

Areas covered: V-fold and layer combinations, from the simple to the very complex. Lessons or projects: 10 projects, each creating a finished geometric structure.
Intended audience: Adults.
Advantages: Clearly illustrated lessons that are to be cut from the pages and actually assembled. Mechanism are interesting. Includes all the information you would ever need to generational fractal cuts.
Disadvantages: Includes all the information you would ever need on fractal cuts. Would have liked some non-abstract structures, too. Lots of math and mathey-looking diagrams.

For hard to find titles, try abebooks.com.