Making art from paper is an enjoyable activity that exercises creativity and stimulates imagination. With just some basic paper supplies, you can create beautiful works of art. In this article, we’ll explore creative ways to transform simple paper into stunning creations.
Gather Your Paper Supplies
The first step is gathering paper and other supplies for your art projects. Here are some paper products and tools to have on hand:
- Construction paper – Look for a variety of colors and textures like neon, glitter, patterned.
- Origami paper – Thin, colorful sheets perfect for folding.
- Decorative/scrapbook paper – Includes designs like floral, paisley, striped.
- Cardstock – Thick, sturdy paper available in white and colors.
- Tissue paper – Delicate, thin paper that’s translucent.
- Wax paper – Translucent paper with a wax coating.
- Crepe paper – Lightweight paper with crinkly texture.
- Scissors – For cutting paper to size.
- Glue – White glue and glue sticks to adhere paper pieces.
- Tape – Masking tape, washi tape, or transparent tape.
- Ruler – For measuring paper when cutting to size.
- Pencil – For sketching designs before cutting paper.
Fold Origami Creations
One of the most popular paper arts is origami – the art of paper folding. With just a square piece of origami paper, you can create birds, animals, flowers, and more. Origami fosters patience, attention to detail, and spatial reasoning skills. Here are creative ways to use origami:
Make Decorative Origami For Gifts
Fold origami boxes, jewelry, and ribbons to top gifts in beautiful paper packaging. Learn how to create origami gift toppers like flowers, bows, and butterflies.
Craft Origami Centerpieces
Design stunning origami sculptures to display as the centerpieces on tables at special events. Experiment with multifaceted modular origami pieces to make them really stand out.
Fold Simple Origami For Cards
Adorn greeting cards and place cards for your next dinner party with easy folded paper accents. Origami hearts, stars, and cranes add handmade flair.
String Together Origami Garlands
Connecting modular origami pieces creates vibrant paper garlands to decorate for parties. Start with folding paper cranes, stars, or accordion-pleated banners.
Make Origami Jewelry
Mini folded paper earrings and pendants are an on-trend jewelry idea. Use thin origami paper and tiny folds, like kawasaki rose earrings.
Quilling Paper Art
Quilling involves rolling and shaping thin strips of decorative paper to create illustrations. It originated in the Middle Ages when nuns and monks would roll gold-gilded paper remnants from illuminated manuscripts. Try these modern quilling ideas:
Make 3D Paper Flowers
Shaping quilled coils into floral shapes makes paper flowers that will never wilt. Mimic roses, carnations, daisies, and more that you can display in shadowboxes.
Craft Paper Monogram Wall Art
Roll delicate loose coils and fill in letter outlines to make stunning monogrammed wall hangings for a bedroom.
Design Paper Mandalas
Mandala designs are created by coiling and arranging paper strips in circular floral patterns. These make great meditative art projects.
Build Dimensional Cards With Quilling
Elevate handmade cards by adding quilled shapes and textures. Try quilling the background, frame, or embossed motifs on cards.
Fill Jar Lids With Mini Quilled Art
Tiny quilled shapes like stars, hearts, and flowers make one-of-a-kind art to display in jar lid frames. Arrange in single color themes.
Paper Weaving Arts and Crafts
Weaving colored strips of paper over and under each other creates a textured handmade art material that can be formed into many items. The paper weaving process is easy to learn, making it a great kids craft.
Weave Paper Placemats
Transform the table by weaving fun paper placemats in vibrant colors. Weaving placemats also makes a great kids craft.
Make Sturdy Paper Baskets
Form strips of paper into baskets by weaving them around circular molds. These paper baskets make cute storage for small items.
Design Paper Wall Hangings
Create a macrame-like wall hanging woven from paper cord. Hang lightweight paper crafts using command strips.
Shape Woven Paper Bowls
Weaving paper around bowl-shaped molds yields sculptural and sturdy paper bowls. Spray paint them in metallic sheens.
Fashion Paper Jewelry
Weave colorful strips of paper into chunky statement necklaces, bracelets, and more. ADDwa3terproof finish lets you wear paper jewelry.
Cut and Fold Paper Snowflakes
Falling snowflakes made from paper are a classic wintertime craft. There are many intricate techniques for cutting symmetrical designs and folding the paper to create a lacy effect.
Make Snowflakes For Window Decor
Hang up graceful paper snowflakes with varying patterns to decorate windows for winter. Use glitter cardstock for extra shimmer.
Top Gifts With Custom Snowflakes
Add personalized flair to presents by using the recipient’s name to inspire the snowflake design. Craft snowflakes from sheet music for musicians.
Fold Tiny Snowflakes For Ornaments
Mini snowflakes made with tiny folds or scissors snips become darling paper ornaments. Hang them on your Christmas tree or use them in holiday displays.
Create Snowflake Mobiles
Suspend snowflakes cut from white paper at varying lengths to capture a floating, drifting effect. Hang your snowflake mobile above a party table.
Group Snowflakes For Winter Wall Art
Make a whole snowy scene by clustering snowflakes of different shapes and sizes together in shadowbox wall art. Paint the background sky blue.
Paper Cutting Art Techniques
Paper cutting involves using scissors or an X-acto knife to cut out decorative designs in paper. Try these creative paper cutting art projects:
Make Paper Snowflake Lanterns
Fold and cut designs into translucent paper, then shape it into cylinder lanterns to hang with LED tealights inside. The light shines through the cutouts beautifully.
Fashion Papercut Lampshades
Decorate lampshades with all-over papercut designs like florals and mandalas. The light casts striking shadows through the cuts.
Layer Paper Cut Art in Shadow Boxes
Showcase dimensional papercut art by layering together cut pieces inside wall-mounted shadowbox frames. Light pieces create a stained glass effect.
Craft Papercut Greeting Cards
Cut out intricate florals, snowflakes, hearts, or birds to decorate the front of handmade greeting cards. Ink the edges for definition.
Create Papercut Wall Art Silhouettes
Mount black paper silhouettes like tree branches, cityscapes, or birds on a contrasting colored background for bold wall art.
Kirigami – Cut and Folded Paper
Kirigami builds on basic paper cutting by incorporating folding techniques. Try these creative kirigami projects:
Make Pop-Up Greeting Cards
Cut and fold patterns into cards to create elements that pop-out and move. Birds, flowers, and butterflies are fun for spring cards.
Craft 3D Paper Architecture
Cut out windows and doors, and use kirigami folds to construct tiny paper houses and buildings. Create a whole paper cityscape.
Design an Origami Mobile
Cut and fold paper into origami cranes, stars, or animals. Then hang them with varying lengths of string to form a balanced mobile.
Build Layered Paper Dioramas
Cut foreground, mid-ground, and background pieces that slot together to build up 3D paper landscapes and scenes inside a box frame.
Fashion Paper Wigs For Dolls
Make lifelike “hair” for paper dolls by cutting fringed strips into different lengths and styles. Layer and glue onto the doll head.
Creative Paper Collage Ideas
Collaging with paper is an intuitive art form—simply assemble torn or cut pieces of paper however your creativity guides you. Here are some inspired collage project ideas:
Upcycle Old Books into Mixed Media Collages
Give an outdated book new life by adhering paper shapes, photos, text, and found objects onto the pages to create one-of-a-kind art.
Make Magazine Photo Collages
Cut out interesting photos, graphics and text from old magazines and use them to build eclectic collages on cardstock.
Assemble Repurposed Paper Collage Frames
Collect discarded papers like sheet music, ledgers, wallpaper samples, and book prints to collage together into artsy frames.
Craft Mosaic Paper Portraits
Tear construction paper into small pieces and arrange them to form the profile portraits of influential figures.
Decorate Cards with Torn Paper Confetti
Use a hole punch on colorful papers to create a hole punch “confetti.” Arrange it into fun designs on handmade cards.
Conclusion
The possibilities are endless when it comes to paper art! With a stack of colored paper, scissors, glue, and creativity, you can design beautiful paper artworks to display around your home, gift to loved ones, or even sell. Weaving, folding, cutting, and gluing paper stimulates your imagination and fine motor skills. Let these project inspirations spark new ideas for your next paper creation. Crafting paper art is an enjoyable way to add handmade beauty to your life and surroundings.
