A simple yet amazing craft using paper cups! An idea that’s also great for independent research projects.
We’re introducing paper cup crafts that will make you think, “I can make this myself!” With paper cups, you can create surprisingly professional projects like clocks, pinhole cameras, and even tyrannosauruses.
They might seem difficult at first, but the methods are actually very simple.
Here, we’ve gathered lots of fun paper cup crafts you can make with everyday materials.
It’s perfect for anyone who loves crafting, from adults to children.
Use this as a guide to create wonderful pieces with paper cups!
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A simple yet amazing craft made with paper cups! Ideas recommended for independent research (61–70)
puppet
Let’s make a simple marionette with mysterious movements using paper cups! Use a paper cup and a toilet paper roll to create the head and face.
Then use straws to make the arms and legs, attaching ping-pong balls to the hands and plastic bottle caps to the feet.
Connect everything except the head and torso with strings threaded through the straws.
Finally, attach the control strings to the head and other parts, and make the handle by crossing two chopsticks in an X shape.
Your marionette is complete!
crown-shaped headband
Let’s make a cute crown-shaped headband using a paper cup.
First, cut off the rim of the paper cup with scissors, then make multiple small triangles by cutting into the cup.
Attach two half-circle stickers so they sandwich each pointed tip of the triangles, and decorate around them with decorative stickers.
Finally, punch holes in the bottom part of the paper cup and thread the headband base through them to finish! You can also use pom-poms or other decorations on the pointed parts.
Try making it with any decorations you like!
string telephone
A classic paper cup craft: the string telephone! Make a hole in the bottom of each of two paper cups, then thread some twine through them.
Using a toothpick to make the holes lets you work safely.
Tie a small piece of toothpick to the end of the twine and tape it to the bottom inside each cup to secure it—done! If you keep the string taut while you talk, the other person will be able to hear your voice.
Paper cup spinning top
A paper cup spinning top is also great for practicing twisting motions like turning faucets and doorknobs.
The idea is to cut and open a paper cup, then add decorations to turn it into a top.
The appeal lies not only in the making process but also in the many ways to experiment while playing—try figuring out how to spin it well or invent different ways to use it.
Depending on the situation, caregivers or teachers can offer prompts that spark creativity, such as, “What happens if you spin it the other way?”
Paper Cup Bowling
How about an easy-to-make bowling game using paper cups? You could simply place the cups upside down, but they don’t knock over easily that way, so let’s make pins by connecting two paper cups at their rims.
It’s a good idea to put a few marbles or small stones inside as weights.
Then decorate them however you like—draw pictures, add stickers, or glue on origami paper! For the ball, crumple up newspaper or flyers into a ball and wrap it with tape or origami paper to finish.
Paper Cup Merry-Go-Round
This is a project to make a merry-go-round that spins when you twist a bar sticking out from the side! Make holes in the side and bottom of a paper cup large enough for a straw to pass through, then insert a bendable straw from the side and out through the bottom.
Cut the protruding end into four equal sections, spread them open, and attach a circular piece of paper—now you’ve created the spinning mechanism.
Make the roof and pillar parts from construction paper, hang drawings of characters the children made from the roof, and assemble.
Twist the straw to spin your handmade merry-go-round!
Paper Cup Monster
Paper cup monsters, made by decorating a paper cup base, have no complicated steps, so kids can enjoy making them.
The process is simple: just decorate the cup with a ghostly face.
You can stick on googly-eye stickers from a dollar store, or use pipe cleaners and washi tape to make facial and body parts and attach them—simple tasks that make it easy to keep trying new craft ideas.
Display the finished monsters somewhere they can be seen every day!
