Chew Card Folder
Fold and mount chew cards accurately and consistently in the field.
A simple 3D-printed tool designed to help fold chew cards cleanly and easily in half, and at the correct angle for mounting to a tree. By removing guesswork, the Chew Card Folder helps improve consistency between cards, sites, and monitoring runs.
Developed through field use in Aotearoa New Zealand to fold and hold a standard 180mm x 90mm corflute chew card.
Print it yourself, or request a 3D-printed field-ready Chew Card Folder — the design is the same either way.
Two ways to use this design
Print it yourself
Download the open-source file and print the Chew Card Folder locally. The design is a single, robust part with no assembly required.
This option suits anyone with access to a 3D printer, or working through a local makerspace.
- Single-piece, print-and-go design
- No assembly required
- Can be printed in any colour or material
- Includes a hole for a paracord loop if desired
If 3D-printing this tool feels like a barrier, the field-ready version may be an easier option.
Field-ready option
Supplied printed and ready to use in the field. Field-ready versions include a short paracord loop for easy attachment to packs, belts, or lanyards — a small addition that makes repeated use in the field much easier.
From $10 NZD (inc GST)
Field-ready versions are produced locally in partnership with Fab Lab Masterton, supporting community-led making and local fabrication.
To order, click the button below to let us know what you need, and we’ll confirm availability and postage.
Use in the field
Used when preparing chew cards in the field to ensure clean folds and consistent nail placement.
The folder helps the top of the card sit at a 90° angle on trees, improving consistency and repeatability across monitoring sites.
The nail guides show you the optimum place and angle to insert the nail.
The card in the guide can be held against the tree while you get the nail started – saving your fingers.
Licensing & reuse
Open by design.
The Chew Card Folder files are released under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0). You’re free to download, print, adapt, and share the design for conservation, research, and community use.
If you modify or build on the design, we encourage you to share what you’ve learned. That collective improvement is part of the intent.
If you’re interested in using this design for commercial purposes, please get in touch.
Community and feedback
Designed to evolve through use.
The Chew Card Folder exists because of real-world needs encountered in the field — and it improves through the same process. Feedback from people using the tool in different settings helps guide refinements, variations, and future designs.
If you’re using the Chew Card Folder as part of your monitoring work, we’d love to hear how it performs in different environments and setups — what works well for you, and what could be improved.
Shared experience is how these tools improve over time.