Paper art includes origami.
The art of origami, or paper folding, is a craft that originated from Asian cultures and is best-known as a Japanese traditional art form. There are several art projects that require nothing more than folding a piece of square origami paper to produce a beautiful shape.
Folded Butterfly
Origami butterflies are not only beautiful, they are simple enough for children of all ages. The butterfly shape is made by folding the origami square paper in half to form a triangle. Fold the triangle in half, reopen it and then fold over the corners to create the body of the insect. Coloring or adding glitter to the paper makes the butterfly shape stand out even more.
Paper Airplanes
Paper airplanes are popular craft options for young children who like to make the plane glide. There are several ways to make a paper airplane, ranging from simple planes to more complicated and detailed planes. They can be colored or left in the original paper color, as preferred by the art teacher or the students. Fold a piece of paper in half down the length of the paper. Open the paper. Fold the corner of one side to the middle line and repeat on the second corner on the same side of the paper. The paper should form a point. Refold along the middle line. Take one side of the paper and fold it back at about half the length of the side. Repeat on the other side. Pull the sides up to a 90-degree angle to form the shape of a plane.
Jumping Frog
The jumping frog is an origami paper folding project young students can enjoy making and also play with after the project is complete. Fold the origami paper into half to form a rectangle and then fold the rectangle in half to form a square. Open the paper to reveal four even squares. Fold the outside corners of the paper to the center line. Fold the two edges of the sides to the new center line to form a diamond shape. Fold the triangle shape at the bottom of the diamond up. Fold each of the bottom two corners to the middle of the bottom edge. Take the bottom of the shape and fold it up. Fold half of this square downward to form the "legs." Turn the paper over and fold the small triangle at the top downward to form the head of the frog. Add funny eyes to make the frog complete.
Card and Envelope
A card for holidays or special occasions can be made that includes its own envelope. Fold the paper in half to make the card and decorate it. To form the envelope, fold the card from the bottom to a point slightly shorter than half of the card. Fold the top of the card down to cover the first half fold. Add a drop of glue or a piece of tape or a sticker to hold the envelope closed.
