6 Common kinds of Paper to Use for Crafts and Prototyping

Kathy Ceceri

Kathy’s latest publications for Maker Media include Fabric and Fiber Inventions, Musical Inventions, and inventions that are edible. This woman is additionally the writer of Paper Inventions, Making Simple Robots, along with other publications saturated in STEAM tasks for children as well as other novices. Whenever she actually is maybe not busy composing, Kathy presents workshops for pupils and educators at schools, museums, libraries, and makerspaces through the Northeast. Check out her at Crafts for Learning.

By Kathy Ceceri

Kathy Ceceri

Kathy’s latest publications for Maker Media consist of Fabric and Fiber Inventions, Musical Inventions, and inventions that are edible. She actually is additionally the author of Paper Inventions, Making Simple Robots, as well as other publications packed with STEAM tasks for young ones along with other novices. Whenever she actually is maybe not busy writing, Kathy presents workshops for pupils and educators at schools, museums, libraries, and makerspaces for the Northeast. Visit her at Crafts for training.

Paper, probably one of the most familiar, cheap, and numerous materials around, is ideal for crafts and arts. Utilizing the right techniques, nevertheless, you are able to utilize it for such a thing from prototyping tiny models to furniture that is constructing also ships and buildings. Here’s just how to push the restrictions of their possible.

A mix of depth, tightness, “tooth” or surface texture, and finish (matte, glossy, or none) can transform the method paper holds its form and exactly how it can take pencil, ink, or glue. Some popular kinds of paper and their uses consist of:

Photograph by Hep Svadja

Copy paper: moderate fat and fairly smooth, it is best for writing by hand and for printing. It is additionally rigid sufficient to operate if employed for tiny paper models.

Art paper: Pricey, dense, and often notably rough, it is made for pencil, ink, and paint. Tear it contrary to the grain for good edges that are frayed.

Cardstock: Stiff, smooth, and slim, it straddles the relative line between paper and cardboard. Beneficial to handmade cards, paper models, as well as other stand-up building jobs.

Construction paper: smooth, rough, and sometimes extremely colorful, it’s maybe not as stiff as cardstock yet still great for children’ pop-up cards as well as other 3D crafts. The most readily useful paper for small fingers to rehearse scissor abilities.

Tissue paper: Thin and extremely colorful, utilize it to produce a faux glass that is stained or dampen it and let the colors operate for the watercolor impact.

Origami paper: Lightweight but rigid, it’s going to hold a razor-sharp crease and also spring straight right back if you compress it whenever folded. Generally speaking colored or printed using one part only.

More choices include ultra coffee that is absorbent (for pseudo tie-dye jobs), wax paper resume writer (iron two sheets together to “laminate” leaves along with other flat things) and freezer paper (great for stencils, will stick gently to textile whenever ironed).

Manipulating Paper

Folding and Rolling For nice sharp creases — V-shaped valley folds or hump-backed mountain folds — score your sheet first over the fold line by indenting it with almost any dull point. For coils and rounded bends, roll it around a toothpick or pencil.

You’ll find enjoyable paper tasks in my own guide, Make: Paper Inventions.

Cutting Paper Scissors must have razor- sharp, little, pointy blades. For very long cuts that are straight make use of art blade or package cutter. Run it gently along a metal edge that is straight making numerous swipes if required. A desktop programmable vinyl cutter is straightforward to make use of for delicate, accurate jobs, and far less costly than the usual laser cutter.

Linking Ordinary white glue is long-lasting and safe enough for some requirements. Distribute it thinly by having a toothpick that is flat art stick, or index card, or make use of paintbrush or roller. Glue sticks and spray glues work immediately but are less permanent. Utilize binder videos to clamp pieces even though you build.

Strengthening to produce models sturdier, glue multiple levels together, alternating grain when possible. You can easily build with slim paper and card by bending or rolling it tightly into rods. In order to make models go longer, reinforce these with clear packaging tape or by brushing in clear sealant, epoxy resin, thinned glue, or shellac.