Paper can be used in various ways, including folded, written, recycled, or shaped. Finding creative uses is a good thing when you're bored or have a special piece of paper you want to make something. Get started with Step 1 below to find out how to use the extra sheets of paper you have around you in creative ways!
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Method 1 of 3: Making Various Things
Step 1. Make origami
Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, and in this way you can make many things from a simple sheet of paper. You can make paper cranes, paper butterflies, paper “fox puppets,” and many more. Some great origami ideas to try are:
- Traditional origami swan
- Paper roses for loved ones
- Origami bunny – this is absolutely adorable!
- Frames for framing photos or pictures
- An origami samurai helmet can bring a lot of fun!
- Paper boxes or origami star boxes as small gift containers for friends and family
- Origami paper claws will add some fun to your Halloween costume
Step 2. Make a box or journal of memories with the decoupage technique (sticking pieces of paper to an object, then varnished or polished)
If you have important pieces of paper like pamphlets, tickets, ticket stubs, photos, receipts, and letters, you can use them to make boxes for storing jewelry, memorabilia, or anything else you want to keep. Provide the object you want to decorate, arrange the paper with a beautiful artistic taste, then do it with the decoupage technique!
- You can also add other materials such as glue, glitter, and other objects (like buttons or fake flowers) to make the box look even more special. Some materials may need to be glued together with hot glue.
- You can also use the scrapbooks for scrapbooks, if you don't want to destroy them. Prepare a photo album with spaces that can fit paper or plastic sheets that can hold them. Be careful, avoid moisture, because the album can damage the paper!
Step 3. Create objects using the papier-mâché technique
This is a technique of combining strips of paper or newspaper with a sticky material such as regular glue or wallpaper glue and applying it to an object or shaping it into various objects. When it dries, the object will harden so that it can be used to make various objects. But be careful, this method is a bit dirty. There are many things you can make with the papier-mâché technique, including:
- Vase
- Light switch coating
- scallop shell
- Mask
- Pencil case
- Small jewelry box
Step 4. Make a greeting card a more personal option than just buying a greeting card at the store
Greeting cards provide a great opportunity to try new paper craft techniques such as making pop-up cards (cards that when opened form three-dimensional objects).
Making the most basic greeting cards requires a sheet of plain paper and then it is folded in half. Then you can decorate the blank card with paint, crayons, markers, or other materials
Step 5. Make a paper toy
While there are books with templates for making paper toys like robots, you can make the following items yourself with just a sheet of paper:
- Origami Divination Paper
- Paper Football
- Paper planes and boats
Step 6. Make paper artwork
You can create two-dimensional or three-dimensional paper art. We're not talking about origami! This is a work of art like drawing, but instead of drawing shapes and coloring them, you create shapes out of paper.
- For two-dimensional paper artwork, use paper of different colors and cut each part of the “picture” differently. If you're drawing a face, for example, you'll need to cut out the eyes (perhaps with several different colored pieces of paper), the nose, mouth, facial skin, hair (again, possibly in different cuts), and other details. The more pieces you cut out, the more detailed you will make the cuts.
- For three-dimensional artwork, cut out a thin strip of paper, 2-3 mi wide, and place it on the sides of another sheet of paper. Fold, bend and twist to create different shapes in a nutshell.
Method 2 of 3: Entertaining Yourself
Step 1. Start drawing
Grab a pencil or some colored pens and start drawing something out of the blue! Express yourself and draw whatever inspires you. You could try drawing less realistic things like cartoons and manga, or maybe drawing something indoors, friends, or family members. A really great way to use paper is to go outside and draw whatever you see. When you're done, you'll be proud to display your artwork, perhaps framed with origami frames!
Step 2. Play the game with paper
Do you think the game of tic tac toe (played by two players, X and O, who take turns marking the empty squares. The player who manages to make three consecutive marks in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins) is the only paper game? ? Think again. There are other games you can play to pass the time when you have paper and pen.
- Try playing Haikai (Japanese Co-op Poetry Game)
- You can also make puzzles on paper like sudoku.
Step 3. Play soccer
You can also play paper football. Fold the paper into a triangle shape or roll it into a ball and start playing. You may also want to make goalposts, depending on how much paper you have.
Step 4. Play the game Warships
You can actually play this classic board game using a sheet of paper (and playmates!). Draw a grid of 11 horizontal squares x 11 descending squares and write one side of the group of squares with letters and the other side with numbers. Set up your ship then start playing. Do not cheat!
Step 5. Play the game of Dots and Squares
Draw a grid of evenly spaced dots, maybe about 20 dots x 20 dots. Now, each player takes a turn to draw a line between two dots. Whoever can draw the fourth line of a square has the right to own the box. Whoever has the most squares when the grid is full wins!
Step 6. Make a paper gun and start playing war games with friends
You can make a paper gun using paper, scissors, and a rubber band. With a gun in hand, you can start an office war game or start a game with friends. Be careful, don't hit anyone in sight!
Method 3 of 3: Be Productive
Step 1. Recycle paper
Did you know that for every ton of paper, 17 living trees are needed? Recycle used paper, even if it has pencil marks. Just because you don't use the paper anymore, doesn't mean it should be thrown away! If you recycle it, then the paper can be reused and made into various useful items without having to throw it away. You can also recycle paper by using it to make paper again or turning old advertising flyers into paper beads.
Step 2. Write a story
Paper is useful for writing stories! You probably already know that. Grab a pen and bring your imagination to the real world! Think of some story ideas and characters, and make sure to create the beginning, middle, and end of the storyline. Have fun and make sure your hands don't hurt! When you're done you can show it to friends or family for input. Safe!
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Can't write the whole story? Does not matter! There are several other forms of writing that you can try, namely:
- Poetry and Haiku (short poems that use the language of the five senses to describe feelings or images)
- Short story
- Homemade magazine
- Comic
Step 3. A little unknown fact is that you can curl your hair using paper
Start wrapping your hair in the desired shape using paper from a brown paper bag, in the same way as using a curling iron. You can curl your hair with this technique while your hair is still wet, while applying your regular hairspray or setting spray and sitting while blow drying your hair with a hairdryer. As a result, your curly hair will be very soft and much healthier because it is protected from direct heat application. Enjoy your beautiful and eco-friendly hairdo!
Step 4. Practice writing your signature
You can use paper to practice writing your signature. Most people like to have a better signature but you can also use your signature to make changes to the way you write, which is artistic. Master a new signature, develop the signature of your favorite celebrity, or even try calligraphy!
Step 5. Try doing a scientific experiment
You can do various scientific experiments with paper. It might sound boring, but it's actually really fun! Try making invisible writing with lemon juice (it will be visible when you hold the paper over the toaster!) or see how many times you can fold it. You can even try the classic magic trick of pulling a tablecloth with a sheet of paper instead of cloth!
Step 6. Play math flower game
This is a fun game that will also help develop math skills. Draw a circle for the center and then as many petals as you want. The more petals, the more challenging the game is. Write the numbers, any number you want, in the center and each petal. Add, subtract, multiply and divide to make math equations where the number in the middle is the answer!
