PART 2 (update)

So I have unfolded the crafts, and the results were spectacular. There are so many details that were impossible to detect on the folded snowflakes that are now plain to see. For example: _ The reddit alien has envelopes and upvote/downvote arrows! _ The Soccer scene actually is a soccer scene... on a SOCCER BALL! This is all kinds of awesome.

The unfolding itself was rather easy and painless, and I compressed each flake in its individual book for a few hours before they looked flat enough to be photographed. No damage appears to have been sustained by any of the flakes, but unfolding/compressing was an inexact science and maybe a more trained eye will spot imperfections that arose during that process.

Again, a million thanks to my gifted Santa. This is easily one of the most unique and personal gift I've ever received.

PART 1

I found my package when I got back home, around 10PM yesterday. It was a simple envelope (appropriately oranged) with a suspicious thickness of about a half-inch.

Inside were 11 of the most amazing papercrafts I have ever seen. Here they are, first in their folded form:

From Top-Left, then going in the direction of reading: 1) The UNC-chapel Hill logo, which is the school I will be working in very soon 2) A Space Shuttle - I had listed space exploration in my interests 3) A soccer scene in which a defender (apparently properly) heroically wins possession. Soccer is my favorite activity, and this is arguably the most creative depiction of the beautiful game I have seen. A real treasure to me. 4,5,7,10) Intricate patterns which might reveal more upon unfolding. The level of detail is really astounding there. 6) The reddit alien ! 8) A Snowflake 9) The Skyrim Dragon! I've been a huge fan of the elder Scrolls since Morrowind so this had special gaming significance. 11) An intricate pattern which I could not quite decipher. The shape makes it easy to find a message within, and maybe I am trying too hard to find words where there might "just" be a beautiful pattern.

Now, I am TERRIFIED to unfold those. Thankfully, my Secret Santa also added a very nice and thoughtful letter with his gift. If anyone here have any cool idea on how to frame those properly, I would love any advice or suggestion.

I will post again once I unfold and frame these crafts.

PS. The pictures have a pretty high resolution, but if they do not come up as such on the website, let me know and I will re-upload on a different platform