Mechanical Iris Card - Improved!

Modmischief created this improved version of the mechanical iris greeting card for YuKonstruct's Holiday Card Build Night.

This new design solves the issue of the shutter pieces catching on the ends of the brads and simplifies the card construction by making the base card just one piece of cardstock.

YuKonstruct is the first makerspace in Canada's north. Our mission is to provide access to shared space, quality tools, available expertise, and a collaborative environment to help makers build anything!

This card is a great use of our Epilog laser cutter, but with a bit of patience and a steady hand, you can also make it at home.

For this card you'll need:

• the template provided with this instructable
• one letter sized sheet of cardstock
• 10 mini brads
• a way to cut the cardstock: X-acto knife, laser cutter or digital cutting machine

You may also want markers, paint, glitter, stickers or other materials to decorate your finished card.

Carefully cut out all the pieces. This step is much easier with the help of a laser cutter, but it can be done with an X-acto knife and a bit of patience.

When you're done you should have the following pieces:

• 1 card base
• 1 ring
• 5 shutter pieces

Connect the shutter pieces to the card base with 5 mini brads, using the inner ring of holes.

Add the ring to the front of the card and put another 5 mini brads through the holes to connect it to the shutter pieces.

Fold the card base along the perforated line.

Decorate the card as desired. Include a photo, drawing or other surprise behind the open iris.

Some ideas to try:

• Camera
• Porthole on a submarine
• Spaceship airlock
• Aperture Science experiment