How to Make Designs by Folding Paper

Kids love doing crafts by folding paper.

Folding paper is a fun way to create beautiful and unique crafts. These crafts can be used for classroom or Scouting projects, or just for something to do on a rainy day. Simple materials allow children to create crafts, such as a chain of people, a unique bracelet, and a beautiful butterfly. Make paper crafts part of a lesson or unit on recycling by using scrap paper that already has printing on one side.

Things You'll Need

• Paper, 8.5-by-11-inches, or long strips
• Sharp scissors
• Colored pencils, crayons and markers
• Paper clips
• Construction paper (optional)
• Poster paints
• Paint brushes
• Googly eyes and glue (optional)

Instructions

Paper Doll Chains

1. Fold a long strip of paper in half, aligning the edges. If you do not have paper in long strips, glue three sheets together by applying a stripe of glue along the short side with a quarter-inch overlap. Layer the pieces together. Allow the glue to dry before folding the paper. Fold the paper in half three times, perfectly matching the edges so the sections are equally sized. When the sections measure about 2.75 inches each, stop folding. On each section, draw one half of a person, with half of a head, one leg and an arm extending all the way to the edge of the paper. Make sure the middle of the person's body and head are on the fold.

2. Carefully cut around the edges of the drawn person. Leave the arms extended and do not cut down their width. This will keep the paper people connected. Unfold to reveal a chain of people holding hands.

3. Decorate the chain people with markers, crayons or colored pencils. Add hats, accessories or make people with various skin tones.

Paper link bracelet

1. Cut paper into 24 1.5-by-4-inch strips. Fold each strip in half vertically and horizontally, then unfold. Create a sharp, neat crease when you fold.

2. Fold the long sides inward to meet at the vertical crease.

3. Fold the ends of the strip inward to meet at the horizontal crease, then fold the strip in half at the horizontal crease. You will be left with a tiny rectangle, measuring 1-by-.375-inches.

4. Secure each small, folded rectangle with a paper clip. Repeat the folding steps on the remaining 23 strips of paper.

5. Connect each of the paper rectangles by slipping the ends of one through the slots formed by the folds of another. This will create a "V" shape from the paper rectangles. Continue with the next rectangle, slipping its ends into the slot formed by the folds of one of the now connected strips. This should look somewhat like a "Z". Repeat until all but one of the links are connected together.

6. Unfold the rectangle on the last link and thread it through the slots of the chain's end links to connect them. Secure the last link's loose ends by folding each of them back over one slot and into the other.

Butterflies

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half, horizontally, and with the paper still folded, cut two half circles out of each side.

2. Unfold the paper. Use paint of markers to create a dark section about an inch wide in the center of the paper, along the fold. This will be the butterfly's body.

3. Decorate the two semicircles with poster paints, creating polka dots or swirly designs on the "wings" of your butterfly. Attach googly eyes on the top of the butterfly's body, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution with sharp scissors around young children.

• Cutting through many layers of paper is difficult, so let an adult do the cutting on the paper doll chain.

References

• "Paper Crafts with Style: Over 50 Designs Made with Cut, Folded, Pasted, and Stitched Paper"; Marie Claire Idees; 2009.