How to Use Paper Creatively
Do some origami., Decoupage a memory box or journal., Do some papier-mâché., Make your own greeting cards as a more personal alternative to store-bought cards., Make paper toys., Create paper art.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Do some origami.
Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, and with it you can make an enormous range of things out of a simple sheet of paper.
You can make paper cranes, butterflies, "fox-puppets"
and much more.
Some awesome origami projects to try include:
A traditional origami swan A paper rose for a loved one An origami bunny
- that's just cute! A frame to display photos or pictures An origami samurai helmet could be lots of fun! A paper box or origami star box to hold small gifts for friends and family Origami paper claws to add life to a Halloween costume -
Step 2: Decoupage a memory box or journal.
If you have papers that have significance to you, such as pamphlets, tickets, stubs, photos, receipts, and letters, you can use those papers to create a box where you can keep jewelry, memorabilia, or any other items you want.
Just get the object that you want to decorate, arrange the paper in an artful way that you think looks nice, and then decoupage away! You can even introduce other materials like paint, glitter, and other objects (like buttons or fake flowers) in order to make it look eve more special.
Some items may need to be attached with hot glue.
You can also use those memorable papers in a scrapbook, if you don't want to destroy them.
Just get a photo album with slots that the paper can fit into or a plastic sheet that holds it in place.
Just be careful to keep it away from moisture, otherwise the album can actually damage the paper! , This is when you combine torn strips of paper or newspaper with a sticky substance like glue or wallpaper paste and apply it to an object or mold it into shapes.
Once it has dried it will harden and so can be used for many different things.
Beware though, this can get a little messy.
There are loads of things that you can do with papier-mâché, including:
Vases Light switch covers Seashells Masks Pencil holders Trinket boxes , Card making a good opportunity to try new paper crafting techniques such as pop-up making.
The most basic card making involves taking a regular sheet of paper and folding it in half.
You can then decorate the blank card with paint, crayons, markers, or other materials. , While there are books with templates to make paper toys such as robots, you can make the following with just a plan piece of paper:
Cootie Catcher Paper Football Paper Planes and Boats , You can create either 2D or 3D paper art.
We're not talking origami here! These are artworks that are like drawings, except instead of drawing shapes and coloring them in, you create the shapes from paper.
For 2D paper art, use paper in different colors and cut out each different part of your "drawing".
If you're making a face, for example, you'll need to cut out the eyes (possibly in several different colored pieces), the nose, the mouth, the skin of the face, the hair (again, probably in different pieces), and other details.
The more pieces you cut out, the more detailed you can make your piece.
For 3D art, you'll cut out thin strips of paper, about the width of 2-3 spaghetti noddles, and place them on their sides on another sheet of paper.
Fold, bend, and spiral them to create different shapes in outline. -
Step 3: Do some papier-mâché.
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Step 4: Make your own greeting cards as a more personal alternative to store-bought cards.
-
Step 5: Make paper toys.
-
Step 6: Create paper art.
Detailed Guide
Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, and with it you can make an enormous range of things out of a simple sheet of paper.
You can make paper cranes, butterflies, "fox-puppets"
and much more.
Some awesome origami projects to try include:
A traditional origami swan A paper rose for a loved one An origami bunny
- that's just cute! A frame to display photos or pictures An origami samurai helmet could be lots of fun! A paper box or origami star box to hold small gifts for friends and family Origami paper claws to add life to a Halloween costume
If you have papers that have significance to you, such as pamphlets, tickets, stubs, photos, receipts, and letters, you can use those papers to create a box where you can keep jewelry, memorabilia, or any other items you want.
Just get the object that you want to decorate, arrange the paper in an artful way that you think looks nice, and then decoupage away! You can even introduce other materials like paint, glitter, and other objects (like buttons or fake flowers) in order to make it look eve more special.
Some items may need to be attached with hot glue.
You can also use those memorable papers in a scrapbook, if you don't want to destroy them.
Just get a photo album with slots that the paper can fit into or a plastic sheet that holds it in place.
Just be careful to keep it away from moisture, otherwise the album can actually damage the paper! , This is when you combine torn strips of paper or newspaper with a sticky substance like glue or wallpaper paste and apply it to an object or mold it into shapes.
Once it has dried it will harden and so can be used for many different things.
Beware though, this can get a little messy.
There are loads of things that you can do with papier-mâché, including:
Vases Light switch covers Seashells Masks Pencil holders Trinket boxes , Card making a good opportunity to try new paper crafting techniques such as pop-up making.
The most basic card making involves taking a regular sheet of paper and folding it in half.
You can then decorate the blank card with paint, crayons, markers, or other materials. , While there are books with templates to make paper toys such as robots, you can make the following with just a plan piece of paper:
Cootie Catcher Paper Football Paper Planes and Boats , You can create either 2D or 3D paper art.
We're not talking origami here! These are artworks that are like drawings, except instead of drawing shapes and coloring them in, you create the shapes from paper.
For 2D paper art, use paper in different colors and cut out each different part of your "drawing".
If you're making a face, for example, you'll need to cut out the eyes (possibly in several different colored pieces), the nose, the mouth, the skin of the face, the hair (again, probably in different pieces), and other details.
The more pieces you cut out, the more detailed you can make your piece.
For 3D art, you'll cut out thin strips of paper, about the width of 2-3 spaghetti noddles, and place them on their sides on another sheet of paper.
Fold, bend, and spiral them to create different shapes in outline.
About the Author
David Pierce
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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