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Folded Paper Cup Pattern

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

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joe crumley
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:23 pm

Folded Paper Cup Pattern

Post by joe crumley »

Greetings friends.

Over the years I have seen some of you folding paint cups from card stock or some kind of folder material. Could one of you please show me a pattern or details how to go about it.

I've run out of my favorite Smurf Cups and they don't make them any more. Haven't found a wax free supply yet. Anyway I'd like to make them by hand, or at least try to.

The other thing about the Smurf Cups was the quotes printed on them. Often I'd do the whole lettering job, meditating on one of those. Sure missem.

Cordially,

Joe
Danny Baronian
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Post by Danny Baronian »

Joe,

go to the top of this page, hit the search tab, type in cups, and hit search.

Scroll down a few posts and your there.

You'll have to go somewhere else for the smurf quotes.

Danny
Danny Baronian
Baronian Mfg.
CNC Routing & Fabrication
http://www.baronian.com
Mike Jackson
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Post by Mike Jackson »

I did the search Danny mentioned and found this post:
viewtopic.php?t=195&highlight=cups

Image

Mike
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
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Billy Pickett
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:59 am

Post by Billy Pickett »

...4 oz. unwaxed "bathroom" cups are not hard to find. The grocery store here has 'em w. either a nice floral pattern or Disney charcters. ...Sorry, no smurfs (since the '80s).
Jen Goodwin
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Location: Hampden, Maine
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Post by Jen Goodwin »

Why do they need to be unwaxed? I am learning to hand letter (teaching myself) and I read to get 'unwaxed' cups in the recent article by Raymond Chapman in Sign Business; of course I ended up with waxed cups but I'm just playing anyway.
BTW, Thanks immensely for the article Raymond!! Can't wait for the others - you've inspired me to pick up a brush!
Jane Diaz
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Location: Pontiac, IL
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Post by Jane Diaz »

The solvents in the paint "melts" the wax and it will "fish eye" or make the paints do weird things. It's probably not a good idea to get in bad habits, whether you are practicing or not. You can buy 3 oz. Dixie cups that are also called bathroom cups that don't have the wax. I buy them at Walmart but you can usually find them in most bigger grocery stores too, along side the paper plates and paper products.
joe crumley
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:23 pm

Un-Waxed Cups

Post by joe crumley »

Billy Bob,

Good news that these cups are still available. I'll continue looking. So far they haven't shown up on at the grocery store or Hobby Lobby.

At my advanced age, a case would do it.

Joe
Jen Goodwin
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Location: Hampden, Maine
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Post by Jen Goodwin »

Thanks Jane!! :D
Mike Jackson
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Post by Mike Jackson »

Joe,
We buy the little Dixie Cups, too. The small 3 oz. cups don't appear to be waxed. The 5 oz. bathroom cups we have available here are waxed. I buy them at the local K-Mart, but I see them in just about every grocery store and department store. I also use them in my mold making, so we buy them all the time.

The folded cups seem like more trouble than they are worth, knowing the Dixie cups are ready and cheap. Some of the folded cups give you a small "handle" at one end, and a palette area at the other end. I just checked the Hastings cup I folded up last year and it didn't. Seems like there were some sort of instructions in the older LeBlanc books.

I learned to hand letter watching George Seelander and Glen Newcomer, back in Oklahoma City. Both used a mahl stick, and both paletted their burshes against the inside of the cup or can.

You should be able to find the waxless 3 oz. cups in the paper plate isle of most stores.
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Bill Riedel
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:03 am
Location: 15 Warren St Little Ferry, NJ 07643
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Post by Bill Riedel »

The folded paper cups are made of 4" x 6" file cards. There are two types, the one with rag content is better.
If you fold the card in three equal sections the 6" length and then three equal sections the 4" length. Next open the card out and fold the crease at the end where the fold intersects in each corner..This will shape the card like a box. The last step is to fold over the two ends toward the outside of the cup. It is important to squeeze the folds so they are tight.
I hope this helps, I have shown many a letterhead how to do it and they catch on quickly. I have been doing paper cups for over 50 years.

The best part about paper cups is that they take no space in your kit when not folded, and I patricularly like to be able to scrape the excess paint off the brush on the edge of the cup. When working outside and the paint likes to gum up, it is a big help to keep the brush in good working order.

Bill Riedel
Bill Riedel
David Slade
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Re: Folded Paper Cup Pattern

Post by David Slade »

There is an origami paper cup on this site:
http://www.origami-club.com/fun/cup/index.htm
Click on the purple oval to the right to see an animation of how to make it. The orange oval to the left shows the instructions for how to make it. I have seen people make and drink out of these but I have never attempted it myself... Hope this is helpful, or at least interesting!
(There are lots of other origami on http://www.origami-club.com to show your kids too)
David Slade
Dan Beach
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:35 pm
Location: South Jersey

Re: Folded Paper Cup Pattern

Post by Dan Beach »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj3wC5jPIFw

Here is the youtube video of Bill Riedel demonstrating how its done.
Dan Beach
Cylinder 9 Designs
South Jersey
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