How to Use Paper Creatively

Last Updated: April 6, 2020

Paper can be used in many ways. Folding, writing, recycling, building, these are just some ideas for using paper. Finding a creative use is great for when you're bored or you have a particularly special piece of paper you want to do something with. Just get started with Step 1 below to find out how to use that extra sheet of paper you have lying around in a creative way!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Things

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
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 even 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!
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3
Do some papier-mâché. 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
4
Make your own greeting cards as a more personal alternative to store-bought cards. 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.
5
Make paper toys. 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
6
Create paper art. 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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Entertaining Yourself

1
Start drawing! Grab a pencil or some colored pens and just start doodling! Express yourself and draw whatever inspires you. You could try drawing less realistic things like cartoons and manga, or perhaps draw something in the room or a friend or family member. A really nice way to use the paper would be to go outside and just draw what you see. Once you have finished you can proudly display your artwork, perhaps in your new origami frame!
2
Play a paper game. Think tic tac toe is the only paper game out there? Think again. There are other games you can play to occupy time when all you have is paper and pen.
- Try Haikai (Collaborative Poetry Game).
- You could also make your own paper puzzles such as sudoku.
3
Play football. You can also play paper football. Simply fold the paper into a small triangle or roll it into a ball and then start flicking it around. You might also want to make goal posts, depending on how much paper you have.
4
Play Battleship. You can actually play the classic board game using just a sheet of paper (and a partner!). Draw out an 11x11 grid and label one side with letters and the other with numbers. Plot your ships and then start playing. Just don't cheat!
5
Play Dots and Boxes. Draw a grid of evenly-spaced dots, perhaps around 20 dots x 20 dots. Now, each player takes a turn drawing a line between two dots. Whoever draws the 4th line of a box claims that box. Whoever has the most boxes when the grid is full wins!
6
Make a paper gun and start a war with your friends! You can make a paper gun using paper, scissors, and a rubber band. With this weapon in hand, you can start an office war or start a game with your friends. Just be careful not to hit anyone in the eye!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Being Productive

1
Recycle the paper. Did you know that for every ton of paper, 17 trees live? Recycle paper that you are done with, even if it has pencil-marks on it. Just because you don't have a use for the paper, doesn't mean it should just be disposed of! If you recycle it, it can be reused and turned into many different useful products without being wasted. You could also recycle paper by using it to make more paper or turn old junk mail into paper beads.
2
Write stories. Paper is for story-writing! You probably already know that. Grab a pen and bring your imagination to life! Get thinking of some ideas and characters, and make sure to have a beginning, a middle and an end to your plot. Have fun and make sure not to strain your hand too much! Once you're done you could show it to friends or family for some feedback. Congratulations!
- Don't feel up to writing a whole story? That's totally okay! There are a number of different writing forms you could try out, including:
  - Poetry and Haiku
  - Short stories
  - Your very own magazine
  - Comics
3
Curl your hair using paper! Start off by wrapping your hair in the desired shape with brown-bag paper, in the way that you would use a curling iron. You can set it by doing this technique when the hair is wet, applying hardening or setting sprays, and then sitting under a dryer. Afterwards your curls will be very soft and much healthier because you avoided applying direct heat. Enjoy your cute, Eco-savvy hairdo!
4
Practice your handwriting. You can use the paper in order to practice your handwriting. Most people can stand to have nicer handwriting, but you can also use it to practice changes in how you write, stylistically, as well. Master a new signature, come up with your celebrity signature, or even try your hand at calligraphy!
5
Try a science experiment. You can do a couple of different science experiments with paper. This might sound boring, but it can actually be really fun! Try invisible writing with lemon juice (it will magically appear when you hold it over a toaster!) or try to see how many times you can fold it. You can even try the classic tablecloth-pull magic trick with a sheet of paper instead of the cloth!
6
Play math flowers. This is a fun game that will also help you build your math skills. Draw a circle for the center and then however many flower petals you want. The more you have, the more challenging it will be. Write a number, any number you want, in the center and in each of the petals. Now your challenge is to make the petal numbers equal the center number. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide in order to make a math equation for which the center number is the solution!

Community Q&A

Question

What can I do for Mother's Day?

Community Answer

Make your mother a card. If that is too basic, you could check out this article on how to Make an Origami Flower. You could also make her a coupon book with coupons she can redeem for hugs, chores, breakfast in bed, etc.
Question

What can you do with a blank piece of paper for a baby?

Community Answer

Babies love to look at shapes and patterns that have dark and light colors next to each other. You could make a mobile with black and white patterns or shapes such as swirls or zig-zags.
Question

What is something easy but impressive to make?

Community Answer

If you like origami, grab some sticky notes and make a transforming ninja star. In my experience, everyone at school thought it was amazing and asked me to make more.