Cute golden paper hamster

What you'll need

• 100–120 gsm printer paper, scissors, ruler, paper glue and narrow clear tape. Let glue dry before continuing. Ask an adult for help with small parts and tools. Also prepare a little loose tissue and a slim, blunt, round support stick about 4 mm in diameter.

Assembly overview

1. Choose A4 or US Letter. Print single-sided at 100% / Actual size, with Fit to page off. Measure the 50 mm test line. Colour the colouring version before cutting. Copy the part codes onto the white backs. 100–120 gsm printer paper, scissors, ruler, paper glue and narrow clear tape. Let glue dry before continuing. Ask an adult for help with small parts and tools. Also prepare a little loose tissue and a slim, blunt, round support stick about 4 mm in diameter.
2. Cut from the separate full-size template PDF. Solid boundaries are cut lines. Dashed lines mark the specified folds or overlap limits. J is the printed glue face; keep each tab attached.
3. 1. Prefold eight shell panels: Cut H1–H8, one of each. Prefold the three crosswise lines and four right-hand tab roots. H1 has the face and large belly; H2/H8 have smaller side patches. 2. Join adjacent panels: Apply thin glue to H1's FOUR printed J tabs. Place them UNDER H2's plain left edge. Align every crosswise fold, press from both sides and let dry. 3. Make an open chain: Join H1→H2→H3→H4→H5→H6→H7→H8, white backs inward. Keep the final H8→H1 seam open until all other joins are secure.
4. 4. Close the last side seam: Put H8's right tabs behind H1's left edge. Match all crosswise folds and press from the open bottom. Both top and bottom remain open; do not fill yet. 5. Seal B, leave the top open: B's printed face goes inside and its white back faces out. Bridge all eight bottom edges to the shell with short clear tape. T remains separate. 6. Laminate two ears: Glue E1F to E1B and E2F to E2B with WHITE BACKS together. Four paper layers make TWO ears. Dry, then fold each short root. Pink faces forward.
5. 7. Support each ear root: Centre the flat 6 × 7 mm roots on the top sloping faces of H2 and H8. Through the open top, use a blunt Ø4 mm stick to support the WHITE inner wall directly behind each root while pressing outside. No slots. 8. Position the feet underneath: Glue each printed WHITE 10 × 10 mm rear area against B's white underside. Golden toes face UP. Leave 2 mm between feet; place the white/gold boundary 4 mm INSIDE B's front straight edge. See the placement detail. 9. Lightly fill through the top: After the ears dry, remove the tool. Add small loose tissue pieces through the roughly 22 mm flat-to-flat opening. Support the shape without packing tightly. T stays separate; tuck tissue below the closing edge.
6. 10. Seal T last: Place T golden-side out over the eight-sided top opening. Bridge each edge to the neighbouring slope with short overlapping clear tape. Avoid the ear roots; do not enlarge the cap. 11. Check the front: The face is above the large belly; side belly patches remain separate. Both ears and flat feet are secure. Check the complete top and bottom seams. Do not add arms. 12. Check the back: The back remains golden; its small pale oval tail is PRINTED artwork. Keep the full faceted body depth. There is no projecting long tail or thin sandwich body.
7. Front means the H1 face-and-belly side. The pale green boxes indicate hidden glue areas, not printed colour. Dry-fit before gluing. Keep feet flat: the colour boundary is NOT a fold. Only the last 6 mm projects beyond B. Printed face: glue the WHITE 10 × 10 mm area to B's white back. Golden toes face up. The installed feet look entirely WHITE from underneath.
8. Keep T off and leave the body empty. The stick tip touches the white inner wall directly behind the flat ear root, not the shell bottom. Hold gently until fixed, withdraw the tool, then continue with feet and filling.