How to Make Paper Crafts for Kids

Anybody can make paper crafts. However, cut and folded paper crafts are an old and beautiful art. They can be as simple or complex as your skill can handle and kids love them, especially those that move or work in some way. Whether you are an expert or you and the children are learning together, you can't get more "hands on" than paper crafts. Here is a sample of an easy cut-and-fold craft.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Art supplies
• Push pins
• Squares of heavy paper of card stock about 8 inches x 8 inches
• New pencils with sturdy erasers

Instructions

Make Pinwheel Crafts

1. Pass out square (not rectangular) pieces of heavy paper. Fold the square corner to corner to form a triangle and then fold the triangle in half again. Unfold.

2. Have the kids decorate the paper on both sides with crayon or markers.

3. Place the square paper flat in front of you. Point out the four triangles formed by the folds. With a hole punch or pencil point make hole in the lower right corner of the bottom triangle. Turn the paper a quarter turn and punch another hole in the lower right corner. Repeat with the other two triangles.

4. Cut along the X-shaped folds about halfway to the center. Gather up the corners with the holes and place the pencil, eraser up, behind the center. Press the point of a push pin through the holes and into the pencil eraser.

5. Blow on or wave the pinwheel to make it spin.

6. Check on each child during the project to make sure everyone "gets" it and to help those having problems

7. Find more paper crafts for kids to make at Enchanted Learning (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Origami is the king of paper crafts, but it is hard to master without illustrations. Look also for tangrams, an ancient Chinese paper shape game.

• There are many sites that offer free craft ideas and templates, but some others want to sell you books and supplies. Read site information carefully to know what you're getting into.