There's a turtle that lives outdoors year-round on south 10th Street in Philadelphia.
When I visit him every time I walk by his shaded side of the sidewalk, I wonder about what sort of long life he can expect, and how many curious human faces he might see in his lifetime (they're known for living longer than humans).
I've met his caretaker, who kindly upgraded his old habitat to a much larger, stronger and more turtle-friendly tank than ever! His habitat is in front of a rowhouse and made of weather proof wood framing, covered with a loose mesh on top to prevent childish fingers from trying to touch the curious turtle inside, often found swimming deeply in the deep water tank amid goldfish and other tiny aquatic plants. A few leafy water plants on top help shade the water and the babbling waterfall in the back, giving a zen-like relaxing running water sound while you visit. I noted his new tank had 4 wooden posts in the corners that extended beyond the tank top, and I thought it looked like a tiny tabletop. A plan was hatched, this odd mini design is the result.
Have a pet turtle and looking to spruce up the tank with the suggestion that maybe your turtle has a secret identity, or at least, very cool turtle friends?
Download our 1.4mb 4-page color PDF file, and print it in color on letter sized 8.5" x 11" card stock on a laser printer that can print double sided, so you'll get 2 prints, with color prints on both sides. You can also ignore the even pages, as they're the inside of the boxes, and may or may not be seen, depending on your arrangement.
After cutting on the solid lines and folding (scoring first helps) on the dashed lines, a tiny dab of glue on the marked corners before pressing tight and allowing to dry (I use paper clips to hold them closed while they dry). You'll get four individual pizzas (3.5" x 3.5" x .4") for a set of four renaissance artist named crime fighters, whose unappetizing topping choices are reflected on each box. You can cut out the extra guest checks and glue on top of the printed ones for a 3-D effect on your tiny pizza box models.
Leave them on top of the pet turtle cage as a delightful find by a friend or visitor, who will only be more surprised to inspect the insides and out for even more fun and clues (even on the bottom of the box!) Check out our pictures of our finished, cut out & built models at the bottom of this page! I designed it so the cutting can be done with an xacto blade and a ruler quickly. Took me 10 minutes to get both cut and glued before it was simply waiting for it to dry.
You can expect these tiny models will find have found their way to visit the turtle on 10th Street. I've photographed their final placement, but figure they will not last too long due to their flimsy paper construction and exposure to inclement weather, but hopefully will be spotted and documented by other pedestrians via social media.
