Paper craft making ideas and tips

Paper is probably the most versatile and universal material available. But do you know that we can use paper in many wasys to create different crafts or art projects?
There are lots of uses of paper in crafts which can easily transformed into gift or decorative products. There are many forms of paper craft which can keep you busy for hours like paper folding, origami, scrap-booking, collage etc. This post would help you learn paper craft making ideas and tips.

* Decoupage

The word “decoupage” has its origin from the French word “decouper” which simply means “to cut out”. The art of decoupage involves cutting out small paper objects and arranging them in a decorative way on another object such as wood. The final step is to glue them and seal them with numerous coats of varnish for a smooth result.

* Paper Maché

Paper Mache is a versatile craft technique and so fun for adults and kids alike. As it can get quite messy, it is recommended to cover your working area with an old plastic tablecloth and to wear old clothes.

All you will need are strips of newspaper, glue and your base object or form. You can create your glue by using 1 part flour to 1 part water and adding a spoonful of craft glue. When combined, this mixture then resembles a thick paste with the consistency of cream.

You can also mix wallpaper glue powder with water according to manufacture’s instructions. Wallpaper paste has an advantage that it keeps for days in an airtight container. If it thickens, add some water and mix well.

A typical base object to cover with the paper strips is a balloon. With this, animal bodies or even a Halloween masks can be created. Other items can also be taped to the balloonsuch as toilet paper or kitchen paper rolls. These in turn become arms and legs.

Ordinary plastic bowls are another source of base object. When wrapped with cling wrap, you can apply the strips of newspaper and once dry, the base bowl can be removed leaving the paper mache shell. Paper maché objects becomes firm and durable when dry and can be easily painted over.

* Collage

The word “collage” comes from the French language and means to “glue on”. To create a collage picture you need different elements or pieces such as photographs, drawings, letters, newspaper clippings or other objects and these get arranged and glued on an underground such as a canvas to create a completly new picture.

* Origami

Origami originates in China and is a very old technique of folding square shaped paper into small 3-D works of art such as animals or other figures.

* Lacé

Lacé is a paper cutting technique in which the cut pieces, for example in the shape of triangles, are folded back and then interlinked in each other, creating a new design which resembles fish bone or a braid. You can buy metal lacé templates or print out this example here >>> Lace Pattern

What are Artist Trading Cards???

Artist Trading Cards or otherwise known as ATC’s are created in the size of 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches or 64 x 89 millimeters. These are small and self-made miniature works of art. Other than the size, there are no particular rules to follow. Combine different materials and elements to create unique and one of a kind cards. Sign, number and date the backs of your cards. These cards are not meant to be sold but if you like, there are groups that trade and collect these cards. You can find them on the internet in different craft forums.

Tips to make paper projects from available materials:

* Save old cards, calender pages, pretty pictures found in magazines or catalogs, music sheets, old letters with pretty or interesting writing, maps, wrapping paper, stamps, stickers, labels, paper napkins with designs, seed packages, etc..... almost anything out of paper can be used and recycled again into something new and beautiful.

* Save cereal boxes, cardboard inlets from shirts or the grey cardboard backings from writing pads. These can be useful to make sturdy templates that can often be reused.

* Scrapbook paper is not just for scrapbooking! With so many lovely designs and colors, you can use it for many other paper crafts as well such as card making or other general paper craft projects needing paper or cardstock.

* Information and definitions provided with thanks by : 'Craft Ideas'

Learn paper craft from internet

I am always fascinated by origami or paper folding. The first paper toy, I learned at a very early age was a paper boat, which I made repeatedly for many days.

I am now a teacher and take nursery level class, and I teach origami+paper craft to my students. For the development of creative skills this activity or hobby can be offered or suggested by teachers or parents to their children.

There is a slight difference between origami and paper model, paper folding or paper craft.

According to definition by Wikipedia:

"Paper models, also called card models or papercraft, are models constructed mainly from sheets of heavy paper or card stock as a hobby. It may be considered a broad category that contains origami, and card modelling, with origami being a paper model made from folding paper (without using glue), and card modelling as the making of scale models from sheets of card on which the parts were printed, usually in full colour, for one to cut out, fold, score and glue together."

- Link to wikipedia definition of: paper model

I have collected many links and resources where you can not only learn paper craft or paper folding, provided by step by step tutorials, But you can also download and print out many craft projects. Almost all are FREE. The material required is easly available from nearest stationary, hobby store or from the online hobby stores. Mainly you would need paper, glue, scissor or crafters knife to make paper craft projects.

Links and resources for paper crafts:

1- Paperkraft
This blog is created by Ron Rementilla from U.S.

When did he started this hobby?
"He has been collecting papercraft books and kits since he was a kid, most of the old ones that he had were of the punch-out type and paper automatas. His collection of free downloadable papercraft patterns from the net only started in 1997.

Anout the blog:
Paperkraft.net guides people to find the best free papercrafts on the web and promote the works of prominent and up-and-coming paper modelers, even the obscured ones.
The main focus of this site is on 3D (three-dimensional) paper models. Whenever you see the word "papercraft" it refers to "3D paper models". The types of genre included are anime, manga, video game, PC game, cartoon, and film. Also included are origami, paper automata, pop-up cards, and dioramas.
Link: Paperkraft

2- Paper craft world is for free paper models and papercraft goods.
You can see a motorbike papercraft here, which is an example of the papercraft.

3- Creative park is from "Canon" company and a lot of paper crafts are given at the site which are free to search or download the models.

4- Paper craft paradise is another paper craft blog offering some unusual paper crafts.

5- Paper craft models from "Yamaha Motor Co.Japan". You can download motor bike, animals, seasons and other models free from the link.

6- Paper Craft x offers paper toys.

7- Erick's Models provides opportunity of downloading paper models for Free.

More sites, blogs and links:

* Paper forest is an excellent blog with articles on paper crafts.

* Rommy-sloth paper toys
A forum for paper crafters

* Art wanted has many attractive paper models.

* Card modeling is about card modeling and more about at this community based site.

* Paper inside is from Cláudio Dias, who is from Brazil. He designs his own models. And all links are FREE to use.

* 100 exceptional free paper models and toys from "Creative close up". There are three dimensional paper models: Gadgets, toys, characters, cars, robots, spaceships, airplanes, buildings and even working photo cameras.

** Topciala is a search engine which helps you to find the sites you need. This link would take you to many links for paper folding sites.

- paper craft links

* At Paper folding 3D you can download many 3D paper folding models. There are a lot of beautiful paper craft models.
(In their own words)
"Paper folding is an art to make all kinds of shapes of things with paper. A simple piece of paper, when folded a few times by an artist, will deliver lively objects. Existing as a traditional craft for over one thousand years, Chinese people of different ages love it.

"Paper Folding 3D" is a 3 dimensional, view from any direction, multi-view guide program. When you use this program, no matter from front, back, or sides, every detail, can be seen very clearly. The program offers you 130 models, including birds, fish, and useful daily objects."

* Paper arcade

* Artsy fartsy an art/craft blog.
* Exciting blog with Paper Craft / Papercut Model Making at "Mirage Studio 7.

- Kids paper craft at "Parenting toddlers.com:

Few online hobby stores:

- Crafty devils papercraft


- Paper craft.org is an online store, which guides you through paper craft products, using paper craft. Papercraft, or pepakura, which is a method of crafting three-dimensional objects out of paper, similar to origami.

Site explains: "Papercraft differs from origami in that the final product is usually made from patterns cut out from paper and held together with glue. It is possible to import and convert 3D polygon models from various sources, making it easier to design and create your own papercraft models."


More links would be added!

Origami- An ancient art of paper folding

Origami is a popular hobby and I enjoy making origami models from many years. It is one of hobbies, which I like becuase of easy availability of material. You don't need to buy kits, hobby material or other stuff from hobby stores or malls.

Colouring square paper is enough to learn or have fun with this art. And white page can be used as well, as you can colour it yourself. I have tried origami simple models at my nursery class as art projects and I found that children are very happy to learn easy to follow paper folding models.

Do you know that origami or Paper folding has become an art form, because people are making paper craft models whick are itself a piece of art, from this easy available and cheap product "paper"?

Let's learn the definiton of Paper folding:

"Paper folding is the art of folding paper; it is known in many societies that use paper. In much of the West, the term origami is used synonymously with paper folding, though the term properly only refers to the art of paper folding in Japan."

Origami is very easy to learn from the web, as there are many useful and FREE sites, offering you to learn techniques of this popular hobby.

- paper crafts links

For skill development it can be used as a helpful hobby:

* Learn origami for development of creative abilities

* Learn origami at the internet!

"Origami"- An ancient Japanese art of paper folding

Origami is a creative art and hobby. As far as I remember my first paper folding or origami learning experience, it was "making a boat". First few days, after learning I was making number of boats with every available piece of paper.
I still love to learn origami and as an educator, I teach it to my children also. And now it is very easy for everyone to learn it as internet itself is a big resource. There are number of books available which provide step-by-step insructions to learn it.
You would be surprise to know that origami can help in mental health therapy.
Read this intereting story told by George Ho, who is mental health nurse in Perth, Australia, he tells us how paper folding appealed to him in 1993:
Read at About me page

Now let's discover what is "Origami"?

According to Wikipedia

"Origami (折り紙 origami?) (from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper") is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. The goal of this art is to create a given result using geometric folds and crease patterns preferably without the use of gluing or cutting the paper medium.

Origami only uses a small number of different folds, but they can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be different colors. Contrary to most popular belief, traditional Japanese origami, which has been practiced since the Edo era (1603-1867), has often been less strict about these conventions, sometimes cutting the paper during the creation of the design. There are many different designs such as the traditional crane or the very confusing flower."

Wikipedia tells us more about the "History of Origami":

"Paper was originally invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. In the 6th century, Buddhist monks carried paper to Japan. The first Japanese origami is dated from this period."


*** Learn origami

Related links:

- History of Origami

- Origami
- Use Of Origami In Mental Health Setting
- At this blog you can find all sorts of Paper Arts related news and articles.
The peace of paper

- An origami blog: Origami Instructions
- Expert Information And Advice On: Origami Swan, Ho To Do Origami, Origami Diagrams, Origami Paper, Origami Instructions, Origami Flowers : Origami expert

- If you want to search more for origami links then go to "dmoz" directory page about origami, where you can get links to clubs and societies and a lot more: Origami page at dmoz