Make your own paper peepshow with the V&A Museum

Created by the Victoria and Albert Museum

Have a go at making your own paper peepshow — a pocket-sized stage set that folds out to reveal a miniature world! These clever creations are made using layered paper panels, with scenes that pop out as you open them, giving the illusion of depth.

Artist Clare Bryan has designed free templates and easy-to-follow instructions to help you build your own. You’ll need some mid-weight paper, a printer, and a craft knife or scalpel for the trickier cuts — but the build is simpler than it looks.

^{Teleorama No. 1, paper peepshow, published by Heinrich Friedrich Müller, about 1825, Austria. Museum no. Gestetner 1. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London}

Check out the V&A here &

Download the instructions here.

This activity is a fun way to explore paper craft, illustration, book arts, and set design. Skills like paper cutting, storytelling, layout, and precision are used in everything from theatre design and publishing to animation and exhibition making.

Paper peepshows have a long history too! The V&A looks after over 400 examples dating back to the 1800s — some were souvenirs, others told stories or showed off amazing engineering.