Pop up paper ring chains (kirigami) for birds

thingiverse

Animals love paper chains but they take too much time to make and don't last long! This replaces the horrible tasks of cutting and taping construction paper rings with masking tape. The rings have built-in hooks to connect into the mesh, so when one ring is broken, it stays attached. By using cardstock, if the rings get wet, they don't melt and clog drains the way construction paper does. The cutting files have little flower charms to hang on the rings for added play. Unlike paper ring chains, when a ring is torn totally off the chain, it is still textured, has a charm on it, and is fun to chase down to the floor and play with, for increased engagement with the enrichment item. You will need a papercraft machine, 12X12" cardstock in multiple colors, and a jar or bottle. You can cut these one at a time on tiny cutters, like the Cricut Joy, but it's a lot of time per ring. You can store these flat, and have hundreds in a drawer ahead of time. To use, stretch the pop up rings over the jar or bottle, and make a pile of popped-up rings. Then, attach the spiral hooks and charms to the chain. Mixing colors adds visual interest for the animals. Hang from cage wire or a hanging toy skewer or chain. I have include both SVG and *.Studio3 format because the Silhouette company makes using SVGs difficult because they want you to buy their dumb patterns.