Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Making things
• Method 2 of 3: Enjoy yourself
• Method 3 of 3: Be productive
• Tips
• Necessities

You can use paper in many ways. Folding, writing, recycling, building: these are just a few ideas for using paper. Coming up with a creative way to use paper is great when you're bored or when you have a very special sheet of paper that you want to do something with. Just start with Step 1 below to learn how to creatively use that extra sheet of paper you have left.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Making things

1. Do origami. Origami is the Japanese paper folding art that allows you to make a huge amount of different things using a simple sheet of paper. You can make paper cranes, butterflies, fox-shaped hand puppets and much more. Some fun origami projects you can try include:
   • A traditional origami swan.
   • A paper rose for a loved one.
   • An origami rabbit - that's really cute!
   • An origami picture frame to display photos or images.
   • Making a samurai helmet with origami can also be a lot of fun!
   • A paper box or an origami box in the shape of a star to put in small gifts for friends and family.
   • Origami paper claws to liven up a Halloween costume.
2. Decorate a keepsake box or diary with decoupage technique. If you have papers that are meaningful to you, such as brochures, tickets, ticket control slips, photos, receipts, and letters, you can use those papers to craft a box to put your jewelry, memorabilia, and other items that you want to keep. Just pick up the item you want to decorate, artfully arrange the paper you think looks beautiful, and decorate the item with a decoupage technique.
   • You can even use other materials, such as paint, glitter and other objects (such as buttons or fake flowers) to make your piece look even more special. Some materials may need to be fixed with hot glue.
   • You can also use the papers that have special meaning to you in a scrapbook if you don't want to destroy them. Just buy a photo album with pockets to put the paper in or a plastic sheet to hold the paper in place. Be careful not to expose the album to moisture, otherwise the album may even damage the paper!
3. Make a paper mache workpiece. This is combining torn strips of paper or newspaper with a sticky substance such as glue or wallpaper paste. You then apply this to an object or knead it into different shapes. The mixture will harden when dry and can therefore be used for many different purposes. Be careful, because papier-mâché can be a bit messy. There are a lot of things you can make with papier-mâché, including:
   • Vases
   • Cover plates for light switches
   • Sea shells
   • Masks
   • Pencil holders
   • Trinket boxes
4. Make your own greeting cards. This is more personal than sending or giving a card you bought in the store. Card making is a great opportunity to try out new paper crafting techniques, such as creating pop-up elements.
   • For the simplest type of card, take a plain sheet of paper and fold it in half. You can then decorate the blank card with paint, crayon, markers or other materials.
5. Make paper toys. While there are books of patterns you can use to make paper toys like robots, you can also make the following with just a plain sheet of paper:
   • A bite
   • A paper football
   • Paper planes and boats
6. Make paper art. You can make both two-dimensional and three-dimensional paper art. We're not talking about origami here! These are works of art that look like drawings, but instead of drawing shapes and coloring them, you now make the shapes out of paper.
   • To make two-dimensional paper art, use paper in different colors and cut out each part of your "drawing" separately. For example, if you are making a face, you will need to cut out the eyes (probably in different colored parts), nose, mouth, facial skin, hair (probably in different colored parts) and other details. The more parts you cut out, the more detailed you can make your project.
   • To make three-dimensional paper art, cut thin strips of paper about 2 to 3 spaghetti strands wide. Place the strips side-to-side on another sheet of paper. Fold, bend and spiral them to create the outline of different shapes.

Method 2 of 3: Enjoy yourself

1. Start drawing. Grab a pencil or some colored pens and just start doodling! Express yourself using pencil and paper and draw what inspires you. You can also try drawing less realistic things like cartoons and manga, or draw something in your room or a portrait of a friend or family member. A really nice way to use the paper is to go out and just draw what you see. Once you're done, you can proudly hang or display your artwork. Maybe you can use your new origami picture frame for that.
2. Use the paper to play a game. Did you think butter cheese and eggs was the only game you could play on paper? Think again. There are other games you can play to while away the time when you only have a pen and paper available.
   • Try Haikai (A game where you write poems together).
   • You can also try making your own paper puzzles such as sudokus.
3. Play soccer. You can also play soccer with a paper soccer ball. Just make a ball out of a wad of paper and tap it around. You may also want to set goals depending on how much paper you have on hand.
4. Play naval battle. You can even play this classic board game with just a sheet of paper (and an opponent, of course). Draw a grid of 11 by 11 squares and write letters on one side and numbers on the other. Place your ships and then start playing. Don't cheat!
5. Rent out play room. Draw a grid consisting of points that you place equidistant from each other. You could draw a grid of 20 by 20 points. Each player now takes turns drawing a line between two points. The person who draws the fourth side of a box may take this box. At the end of the game, the winner is the one who has completed the most squares.
6. Make a paper gun and start a fight with your friends. You can make a paper gun using paper, scissors, and a rubber band. With this weapon in hand, you can start a fight at the office or a game with your friends. Be careful not to catch anyone's eye!

Method 3 of 3: Be productive

1. Recycle the paper. Did you know that 17 trees are needed for every ton of paper? Recycle the paper you no longer use, even if it has pencil marks on it. Just because you can't use the paper doesn't mean you should throw it away! If you recycle it, it can be reused and can be turned into many different useful products without being thrown away. You can also recycle paper by using it to make more paper or by making paper beads from old advertising brochures.
2. Write stories. Paper is meant for writing stories on it, but you probably already know that. Grab a pen and bring your imagination to life. Come up with some ideas and characters and make sure your plot has a beginning, a middle and an end. Have fun and take care not to put too much strain on your hand. When you are done you can share your story with your friends or family and get feedback. Congratulations!
   • Don't want to write a complete story? That's fine! There are a number of other writing forms you can try, including:
     • Poems and haikus
     • Short stories
     • Your own magazine
     • Comics
3. Curl your hair with paper. Few people know that you can make curls in your hair with paper. Start by wrapping your hair with the paper from a brown bag to the desired shape, the way you would with a curling iron. You can shape it by using this technique when your hair is wet, then applying a firming spray and sitting under a hair dryer. Your curls will be very soft afterwards and a lot healthier because you shaped them without using direct heat. Enjoy your fun, eco-friendly haircut!
4. Practice your handwriting. You can use the paper to practice your handwriting. Most people could use nicer handwriting, but you can also use the paper to practice other writing styles. Practice a new signature, make up a signature in case you were famous, or try calligraphy!
5. Try a science experiment. You can perform several different scientific experiments with paper. This may sound boring, but it can be really fun! Try writing invisibly with lemon juice (your text will magically appear when you hold the paper over a toaster!) Or try to see how many times you can fold it. You can even try that classic magic trick where you pull a tablecloth out from under a crockery on the table, but with a sheet of paper!
6. Play a math game with flowers. This is a fun game that will also help you work on your math skills. Draw a circle in the center and then as many petals as you want. The more leaves you draw, the more difficult the game will be. Write a number in the center and in each of the petals. It doesn't matter which grades you choose. The challenge is now to make a sum with the numbers on the petals so that you end up with the number in the middle. Add, subtract, multiply and divide to make a sum where the result is the number in the middle!

Tips

• Why not try folding a snowflake out of paper? These can be very beautiful, especially when making decorations for the winter.

Necessities

• Paper
• Pencils
• Colored pens
• Writing pen