A simple yet amazing craft using paper cups! An idea that’s also great for independent research projects.

Paper Cup Windmill

[Wakuwaku-san] Let's make a pinwheel with paper cups!

Here’s a paper cup windmill you can make using a common paper cup.

Prepare a paper cup, a chopstick, a felt-tip pen, and a thumbtack, and let’s get started.

Use the felt-tip pen to mark the rim of the cup into eight equal sections.

From each mark, cut a slit downward to create eight cuts.

Fold each cut section outward at an angle to form the rotating blades.

Folding them diagonally improves airflow and makes it easier to spin—this is the key point.

Poke a hole in the center of the cup, then use the thumbtack to fix it to the chopstick, and you’re done! Wrapping the blade sections with vinyl tape as decoration will make it look more vibrant.

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mayumi

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Ghost Shooter

Let’s make a ghost shooter toy that launches a paper cup using paper cups, cotton swabs, and rubber bands.

First, prepare two paper cups with the bottoms cut out.

For the third paper cup, poke a small hole in the center of the bottom and cut off about 5 cm from the rim.

Next, tie a rubber band to the shaft of a cotton swab and thread it through the small hole in the cup you just prepared—that completes the build.

To play, stack the two bottomless paper cups together, then place the cup with the rubber band on top.

Pull the rubber band and release it… and the cup with the rubber band will shoot out with force! It would be fun to make targets, like balloons, and play a shooting game.

You can also decorate the paper cups by drawing ghost faces or adding stickers.

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Hane Keisuke

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Shaka-shaka wristwatch

Many children probably admire the wristwatches their parents wear.

That’s why I’d like to introduce the idea of a rattle-style wristwatch craft.

In this activity, you make a wristwatch out of a paper cup and use a clear plastic cup to represent the glass face.

If you seal beads or similar items inside the clear cup, they will make a rattling sound when you shake your arm.

Another appeal is that you can design the dial and the band however you like.

First, think about what kind of wristwatch you want to make.

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yamamoto

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Chomping Toothbrushing Made with a Paper Cup

Make toothbrushing feel more familiar with pretend play! Here’s a fun idea for a chompy toothbrushing craft made from a paper cup.

You’ll need a paper cup, colored construction paper, a sponge, a popsicle stick, white round stickers, and glue or double-sided tape.

Since the main material is a paper cup, it’s easy to prepare—how nice! Adjust the steps to suit the children’s ages, and consider making a paper-cup toothbrushing puppet as a crafting activity.

Make it and have fun playing with it!

[Craft Play] Flying Cup

How to Make a Flying Cup: Mysterious! Handmade Toy ★ Magnus Effect — How to make a flying paper cup.

If you throw a regular paper cup, it just plops to the ground, but this one is a mysterious, flying paper cup.

It’s very easy to make: attach the bottoms of two paper cups together, then use a paper clip to create a hook point in the center for a string or rubber band.

That’s it—but it will float and glide through the air with a curious motion.

This is due to the Magnus effect: as the spinning cup moves forward, air resistance creates an airflow in the direction of the spin, producing its strange flight.

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utatane

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Kendama

How to Make a Paper Cup Kendama [Handmade Toy / Easy Craft]

I never imagined you could make a kendama with paper cups, but you can! Crumple some scrap paper into a ball and attach a string to make the ball part of the kendama.

Fix the other end of the string to the bottom of a paper cup, then sandwich the string by placing two paper cups bottom to bottom.

Punch four holes in the cups and thread chopsticks through them, and you’re done! The chopstick section is the center spike of the kendama, and the paper cups serve as the two side cups.

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SAKI

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frolicking paper cup ghost

Since it's Halloween, I want to let the paper cups join in the fun too.

The moment you see “a frolicking paper cup,” you might think, “What’s that supposed to mean?” But if you actually make one, it’s exactly that—and it’s a lot of fun! First, cut two slits on opposite sides of the rim of a paper cup.

Next, loop a rubber band around a battery and secure it with tape.

Then hook the rubber band attached to the battery into the slits in the cup, and you’re done.

Twist the rubber band by spinning the battery, place the cup on a table, and let go of the battery…

The paper cup will frolic around beautifully.

If you draw a little ghost or animal on the cup, it’ll look even more lively and adorable—you won’t be able to help but laugh!

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Hane Keisuke

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