Got some construction paper lying around? Get crafty with these construction paper crafts that are both fun and cheap to make.
You can never have too many paper crafts to experiment with. If you have a ton of construction paper lying around at home, then it’s high time you put them to good use.
With a few basic craft essentials, you can make a ton of creative craft items in no time at all. So check out these 37 construction paper crafts for ideas and inspiration to plan your next craft session.
1. DIY Bookmarks for Kids
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When it comes to cultivating a reading habit in your kid, it’s always important to start early. One way to really hook them into reading a book is to have a super cool bookmark.
In fact, your kids can make their own bookmarks during craft time!
A colorful bookmark can not only encourage them to read, it can be an engaging way to boost their reading experience.
So, grab a couple of wooden sticks from here, and let’s get started.
Also, if you’re interested, check out this tutorial on how to make a bookmark with paper clips!
2. 3D Rainbow
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Rainbows can be a little hard to find, and even when you do they aren’t really tangible things, are they? So, if you’re trying to teach your kid about rainbows, it can be hard to educate them about the concept.
But, with a planned craft session of making this 3D rainbow out of construction paper, it can be a much more engaging lesson. It is also a great way to teach toddlers the different colors in a rainbow!
Assemble your beautifully arched rainbow and let the learning begin!
3. Whale Crafts
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Whales are such fascinating creatures. They represent everything I love about the ocean.
Unfortunately, the odds of spotting a real whale are pretty slim unless you go on one of those planned whale-watching tours.
A really creative way to teach your kids about these beautiful and enigmatic animals is to recreate them during a craft session.
You need ocean-colored construction or craft paper(look here), a whale template, and a few sharpies.
Speaking of mysterious sea creatures, check out these 18 mermaid crafts as well!
4. Plumeria Flower Craft
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Nothing quite says sunny tropical paradise like plumeria flowers. They are native to tropical regions, and you might have heard them being referred to as frangipani.
You might not be able to buy them off the shelf at the market, so how about you make a few of them with your craft essentials? It can be a great themed-craft time that your kids can enjoy.
You can string your plumeria flowers into a garden, glue them onto greeting cards, and use them for other craft projects.
5. Silhouette Portraits
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Have you seen that infamous silhouette portrait of Sherlock Holmes with his pipe and hat? Do you want to make one of those portraits for yourself at home?
It’s much easier than you could have imagined. All you need is a picture frame like this, your craft paper, a few markers, and a pair of scissors.
Just take your time and don’t try to hurry the process; your portrait will turn out simply amazing!
6. Sun Paper Plate
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Paper plates are some of the most versatile craft materials to work with—you can make a ton of creative projects with them.
This paper plate sun would be a really pretty wall hanging in your kid’s room. You can buy these paper plates to get started.
Trace and subsequently cut out a few handprints on construction paper for the sun’s ‘rays.’
If you’re interested and have some leftover paper plates, try this paper plate flower or this DIY woven bowl out of paper plate crafts as well.
7. Paper Tearing Activity
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You know that feeling you get when you rip into your presents at Christmas and tear the wrapping paper with sheer abandon? Do you want to do that again?
This project involves a lot of ripping. Pull out all that scrap paper—or construction paper, if you have them at hand—you’ve been saving and start tearing them into little pieces!
There’s nothing like some good old paper shredding to spend a warm afternoon craft session!
8. Paper Roller Coaster
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Are your kids fascinated with rollercoasters? Even if they are, it can be quite a while before they’re old—or tall—enough to ride them.
So until that time, you’re going to have to find an outlet for all their rollercoaster dreams. What better way to deal with the disappointment than with a super fun craft session?
With a few sheets of colored paper and a couple of markers, you and your kids can make your own twisty roller coasters at home. In just under an hour, you’ll have an entire roller coaster set up and ready to play with!
9. Race Car Crafts
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There aren’t many boys who don’t dream of racing fast and sleek power cars on a racetrack. Hot Wheels are great, of course, but they are also super pricey.
You’d be better off saving that money to buy a real car down the line. So how do you deal with your son’s need for speed? Check out this race car craft!
Just find an empty water bottle for the body of the car. Alternatively, you can use empty toilet rolls as well!
Also, while you’re at it, check out these 20 toilet paper roll crafts for the next craft session.
10. Jungle Animals Paper Craft
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When you’re teaching young toddlers their animals, they need to have a tangible image of the animals in question. Buying every stuffed animal toy is out of the question—bummer.
Instead, you can make jungle animals right at home with your craft essentials. You can easily make snakes, chimps, tigers, lions, and elephants.
Just follow the pattern, and you’ll have a veritable jungle ready in no time.
11. Frog Headband Printable For Kids
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Did you grow up watching Kermit the Frog, or even the Princess and the Frog? I bet you can understand why kids have such an avid interest in frogs.
With that in mind, here’s a frog headband project for you and your kids to make! First, download the frog headband template and read through the instructions carefully.
You’ll need a roll of tape(look here) and some green construction paper. Then, cut out the pieces using the template, and you’ll be able to assemble the headband!
12. Handprint Rooster Craft For Kids
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You think of farm animals and the first one to pop up in your head is a rooster. So here’s a great project for your kids to learn about their farm animals, especially roosters.
Gather your supplies and pull your kids into helping you make this handprint rooster. Have them trace out their handprint and help them cut out the construction paper carefully.
If you need a little help, you can always download the rooster template to make things easier.
13. Snowy Salt Crystal Christmas Tree
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When you spice up your craft sessions with a little science and learning, you’re in for a treat!
The process of making salt crystals can be wonderous to a little one. With Christmas right around the corner, you can make little Christmas tree cutouts with salt crystal snow on them.
Just use regular table salt, water, and this stirrer to form the crystals. Then, hang the trees up as ornaments, and you have yourself a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
Check out some more Christmas tree decoration ideas!
14. Easy Fireworks Painting for Kids
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Don’t you love watching the fireworks at the Fourth of July celebrations? You might not have fireworks every weekend, but you can certainly make up for that during craft time.
First, you’ll need some of this acrylic paint black construction paper from here. You’ll also need a few empty toilet paper rolls to form the crackling fireworks.
Take a look at this DIY pencil case out of toilet rolls idea if you have a few extra toilet rolls at hand.
Check out more crafts for kids here.
15. Snowflake
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You can never have too many paper flower crafts, so check out these clever snowflake-shaped flowers! It’s an inexpensive project and will take you less than an hour to whip up a dozen or so of them.
This craft is also a great way to develop your child’s cutting skills—under your supervision, of course. So pick out different hues of construction paper and get started on your snowflake-shaped flowers.
Once you’ve got them cut out, stick them onto a canvas board, or tack them onto your refrigerator!
16. Origami Cat
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When you’re planning craft sessions that involve paper, you’ve got to have something related to origami. So how does an origami cat sound? Purrfect?
Take your time with every single fold. Trust me when I tell you that you will really appreciate your own efforts when the entire thing comes together in the end.
You’ll need a few bits of this embroidery floss for the whiskers and a couple of googly eyes from here to finish off your beautiful origami cat.
While you’re at it, check out some of these 31 paper crafts for adults you’re going to adore!
17. Ocean Paper Craft
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Did that last ocean-themed DIY project go really well with the kids? I bet you’d like another one, so here’s what I’ve got for you: an ocean bed paper craft project.
The heart of the sea is right at the bed, where all the beautiful flora and fauna thrive. With a few sheets of construction paper, you can make your own ocean bed, teeming with colorful sea life and exotic plants.
Stock up on some craft glue from here; you’ll definitely be needing a ton of it for this craft.
18. Pop Up Car
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Don’t you just love how special these 3D crafts projects are? Whether it’s for a birthday card or you’re just spending an afternoon with your kids and playing with crafts, pop-ups are definitely a must-try.
If you follow the pattern, you’ll have this shiny red car in no time at all. Of course, you should feel free to decorate the car however you like.
I find that buttons or shiny glitter make excellent headlights, so why don’t you give that a try? Grab some of these craft pens and start designing your red car!
19. Paper Crown
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I don’t know about you, but I could be 50 years old, and I’d still want one of those paper crowns you get with your Burger King meals. But since hitting up the nearest fast-food chain isn’t practical, you can make your very own paper crown right at home.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- The template for the crown.
- Construction paper
- Clear adhesive tape
- Decorative gemstones from here.
These would make wonderful party favors at your kid’s birthdays, so you can make a few extras, too!
20. Printable Racoon
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I never thought we’d see the day when raccoons were being kept as house pets, but there you have it. I understand, however, that having one at your home might not be feasible.
So instead, try out this printable papercraft with its free template that’s ready to download. You’ll need a few shades of construction paper, as well as other craft essentials.
You can even make your raccoon a masked bandit, with its striped tail being a perfect complement to the facade.
21. Paper Kite
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No childhood is complete without making your very own kite. But nowadays, making and flying kits have become a forgotten tradition.
I think you should bring the trend back, and this paper kite craft is the way to go. You can introduce your kids to the magic of cool, breezy afternoons filled with kites and fun.
The best part of making a kite is when you get to attach the long, flowing tail. You can use streamers from here or ribbons if you prefer.
22. Paper Octopus
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Do you remember Hank the octopus from the movie Finding Dory? Wasn’t he an absolute hoot?
Did you know that Hank only had seven arms? That makes him a septopus, which also makes him the perfect animated inspiration for your next craft project!
Start by tracing the image on a sheet of construction paper. Then you can continue to follow the instructions on the template until you’re happy with how Hank the Septopus turns out!
23. Handprint Butterfly
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You can never have too many crafts involving butterflies. The best way to recreate their billowy wings is by cutting out handprints.
Go ahead and help your child trace an outline of their palm. Remember to be careful when you reach the grooves between your fingers—that’s the tricky bit.
For the body, you can use colored popsicles sticks that you can find right here. Top them up with a couple of google eyes, and voila!
24. Caterpillar Craft
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We seem to be going in reverse with the caterpillar craft coming after the butterfly craft on this list, but there you go.
For this caterpillar-themed craft project, you will need around 26 popsicle sticks. I’m sure you still have some of them in your stash.
You can hang this wonky caterpillar in your kids’ rooms or simply display them at their craft stations. They’re going to love seeing their creepy-crawly creations on display like that!
25. Paper Bag Pirates
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Do you have a couple of these paper bags, the kind you use to pack your kids’ lunches? Perfect, because you’re going to be making paper bag pirates!
You will need a lot of construction paper to cut out the template for these pirates. How about giving them a gold earring or an eyepatch, perhaps?
You’ll want to be careful when you’re gluing the paper onto the bags; they tend to rip pretty easily, so it helps to be extra careful.
Check out these 21 pirate crafts for kids for more creative craft ideas.
26. Hedgehog bookmark
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I’ve always wondered if hedgehogs are as prickly as they look. Either way, they aren’t ideal for keeping as pets.
So, if your kid suddenly wants a pet hedgehog really bad, you’re going to have to do some creative tip-toeing around the issue. How about this hedgehog bookmark to ease the sting?
Don’t worry—you won’t have to make the bookmark all on your own. You can download and subsequently print the hedgehog template to help you with this DIY project.
27. Helicopter Paper Craft
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Remember when you made that racing car a while ago? Why don’t you look at how to make a paper helicopter this time?
It’s not quite the sophisticated copter you see in real life, no. But this one is easier to make, and you don’t need an Engineering degree. You will, however, need a few paper clips from here.
Now, for the big question: do they fly? Yes, they do! These paper helicopters fly, and they spin around the air!
28. Paper house
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What loft things we dream of building with paper. Racing cars, helicopters, and now, an entire house from just construction paper.
Hey, at least you don’t have to make mortgage payments on these houses. So grab your tools: scissors, markers, ruler, and craft paper, and start designing your paper home.
I love the bright red rooftop. You can go the extra mile and use black markers to sketch a shingle pattern on it to make it look like a real roof.
29. Swirling twirling ladybugs
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Ladybugs are the only bugs I can tolerate. They are small enough not to alarm me and pretty enough that I won’t swat them away into outer space if one gets too close.
With spring beating back the winter months, you’ve probably got a nice little breeze going. These twirling ladybugs hanging from some sturdy string(look here) would look great hanging from the tree outside your home.
You don’t have to stick to the traditional red and black if you’d rather have different colors. They’d all look beautiful twirling in the breeze!
30. Paper plate ladybug
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Here’s another ladybug craft project for you to experiment with: a paper plate ladybug. I’m certain you have all the supplies you’ll need, so go ahead and get started.
This project features a rather edgy-looking ladybug with geometric color patches instead of the traditional red on black. It’s an interesting alternative, don’t you think?
You can also look at these 21 ladybug crafts if you’re fond of bugs. You’ll definitely find a ton of creative ideas there.
31. Torn Paper Panda
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Have you ever wondered how pandas haven’t gone extinct yet? They’re furry bundles of clumsy disasters just waiting to happen, but darn it if they aren’t absolutely adorable.
Since you can’t really go to the zoo right away to meet a real panda, you can make a paper panda to tide you over till then. All you need are a few sheets of black, white, and green construction paper.
The green paper is for a little cut-out of a green stalk. It that can be stuck onto the backdrop for your panda to hold.
32. Puppy Ears Card
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Were you waiting for a paper-puppy craft project to finally make an appearance? Well, here it is, and it’s cuter than you probably expected.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Construction paper in these colors: white, blue, red, yellow and orange. You will also need a few scraps of white and black paper.
- A circle punch from here.
- A printer
- Tacky glue
- A pair of scissors
This project comes with a free downloadable template which will definitely come in handy, so go ahead and start cutting!
33. Paper Tulip Bouquet
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With the end of tulip seasons, I’d hate to wait for the next one to come around before I get to watch them bloom. If you miss having tulips around your home, then check out this DIY paper tulip bouquet.
Don’t you love how a few scraps of paper can transform any room into a cheerful, flower-laden space? These paper tulip bouquets are also a great Mother’s Day gift.
34. Unicorn Mane
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Unicorns have such a lush and flowing lock of curly mane. Well, at least I think they do—they do happen to be mythical.
But if you choose to believe they exist, then so must their rainbow mane. This DIY lets you recreate that colorful and curly many with nothing but a few strips of construction paper.
Once you’ve designed your Unicorn on a white background, you can color the horn and draw long lashes. The final step would be to stick the curled paper to the side and create a gorgeous mane.
Check out these 27 delightful unicorn crafts for more creative unicorn-themed craft ideas.
35. Dinosaur hat
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Is Halloween around the corner? Then it’s time to figure out your children’s costume for this year. I have the perfect DIY paper dinosaur hat to sway them towards Jurassic World-themed costumes.
What’s really special about this hat is how the spikes extend down till mid-back. Your kids are bound to love this unique hat, especially when they find out they can make it themselves!
36. Twirl Snake Craft
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The last item on our list is an extremely easy paper twirl snake. It’s super simple to make, and your kids make dozens of them as party decor during craft time.
You will need some green construction paper from here, and of course, a few markers, a pair of scissors, and finally, a few googly eyes.
Roll the strips of paper into twirls, draw some scales, stick the googly eyes, and there you go! Your twirly paper snakes are ready!