The world's first Paper DIY diorama based on a short story.

A diorama is a three-dimensional mini-world. Whether it's a historical moment, a scene from a book, or a blue-and-orange landscape, a diorama uses depth and scale to tell a story in a way a flat image cannot. The term was coined in 1822 by Louis Daguerre, the 'father' of photography, and originally referred to a theatrical set with moving lights and paintings. This is why dioramas create an immersion of depth.

At FOLDORI, craft meets narrative. Beyond the landscape, our story-based diorama focuses on 'The Encounter' between its three characters. It’s a form of visual storytelling where the creative power of paper does all the talking.

1. The Material Science (GSM and Grain)

In paper DIY, the "weight" of the paper (measured in GSM: grams per square meter) dictates what you can build:

• 80–120 GSM (Standard Paper): too thin for structures, but perfect for "ephemera" inside a diorama (tiny letters, newspapers, or wallpaper).


• 160–220 GSM (Cardstock): usually deemed as the "sweet spot". It’s sturdy enough to stand on its own but flexible enough to fold without cracking the fibers.


• 250 GSM (FOLDORI Paper): because our users are not all DIY aficionados, our premium materials give them the confidence necessary to a successful self-assembly.


• 300+ GSM (Heavy Cover): used for the "structural walls" or the base of the diorama. In Sunrise Dreams, we use 400 GSM paper.


• The Grain: like wood, paper has a grain. If you fold with the grain, the fold is smooth; if you fold against it, the paper "cracks" and looks messy.

2. Structural Techniques

• Scoring: by lightly running a blade or bone folder along a line (without cutting through), you break the surface tension of the paper, allowing for a perfect 90-degree angle.


• Tabs and Flaps: instead of just gluing edges together, you leave small "tabs" on your pieces that fold inward. This provides a larger surface area for the glue, making the structure much stronger.


• Layering (Depth): in a diorama, you create the illusion of miles of space in just a few inches by using forced perspective. Objects in the "background" are smaller and less detailed, while "foreground" objects are larger and high-contrast.

Our diorama is pre-scored, our 90-degree angles handled by Paper Belts, and we spent months mixing the layering technique and color theory into what we call Depth Engineering.

3. The Toolkit

In traditional paper DIY, scissors are rarely enough. You typically need to own:

• A precision knife: essential for "fussy cutting" (cutting out tiny, intricate shapes).


• A self-healing mat: to protect your table and keep your blade from dulling instantly.


• A bone folder: a dull, bone-like tool used to create a score line. You need to "score" a light groove first so the fold is razor-sharp.


• Tweezers: for placing tiny elements into a diorama.

Obviously, to us, the toolkit was a red flag from the start. So we spent 2 years in R&D to create a whole new type of Paper DIY: tool-free, glue-free, and 100% recyclable.

Download* Mary's art manuals for the assembly of your FOLDORI sets.

*If you're not a FOLDORI customer yet, the Preview file is available: have a sneak peak to understand how our DIY model embeds visual storytelling and diorama layering techniques.

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