MINI JACOB'S LADDER

 

Here's a Jacob's ladder I did out of cardboard coasters. Coasters are 3 1/2"  squares. This is a mini because it has only 3 blocks.... I usually do a 6 block "ladder'. People are always amazed at how it works..... 

I learnt the craft from The Scrapbook Lounge - Jacob's Ladder Flip n Fold by Tricia Morris. It's a great video to follow.

JL Trivia:

The Jacob's ladder is one of the most ancient and famous of folk toys. Legend has it that one was found in King Tut's tomb, which means these fascinating toys were played with in Egypt before 1352 B.C., when the young king died (at about 18 years old). It's amazing to me that this humble folk toy would have been included among Tutankhamen's most significant effects, along with brilliant jewelry, amulets, masks of pure gold, prized objets d'art, a solid gold coffin, statues, furniture, and even a full-sized chariot.

To operate the toy, simply hold the top block by its edges and let the rest of the identical blocks swing downward until the "ladder" is fully open. Then, holding the top block by its edges, turn it 180° in a left rotation, until the top and second blocks are parallel and touching. When the held block hits the hanging block, a series of blocks will begin cascading down. Then repeat the motion 180° to the right. Each time you move the block 180°, a cascade of apparently moving blocks will flip to the bottom.

There's a neat trick you can play with your Jacob's ladder, which will baffle children (and, most likely, their elders): Fold up a dollar bill into a small rectangle and tuck it under one of the tapes. Then operate the toy. The dollar will successively disappear, appear, disappear, and so on, for no apparent reason.

http://www.woodcraftarts.com/jacob.htm