Made of paper! A fun collection of DIY toy ideas you can play with
This time, we’ve gathered lots of ideas for make-and-play toys using paper.
A single sheet might be thin and flimsy, but by layering or rolling it, you can create mouthwatering-looking foods, cute decorations, and toys that are fun to play with together with friends!
You can even make toys that look like the ones sold in stores!
Paper holds limitless possibilities—give it a try and make some fun toys!
Since paper has a rough side and a smooth side, be mindful of which side you use when making moving toys.
Made of Paper! A Fun Collection of DIY Toy Ideas You Can Play With (1–10)
Rubik’s Cube
We’ll show you how to make an infinite Rubik’s Cube that’s fun for matching picture patterns.
Prepare scissors, construction paper, and stickers with the design you want to use for the Rubik’s Cube.
Pre-cut two strips of construction paper to 8 cm × 2 cm, crease them into 2 cm × 2 cm squares, then cut and tape them together with cellophane tape to form a cube shape.
Protect the surface well by taping over it.
Make eight identical cubes.
Once they’re done, use tweezers to connect the cubes with tape, being careful about where you place the tape.
After checking that the cubes move smoothly, stick your stickers onto a 4 cm × 4 cm piece of construction paper, cut it into four equal squares, and attach them to one face of a cube.
Repeat the same process for the other faces.
Once all faces are covered, your Rubik’s Cube is complete.
Infinite smartphone
Let me show you how to make a reusable, erasable “infinite smartphone.” Prepare liquid glue, watercolor paint, a small food storage bag, colored pens, and thick paper (cardstock).
Cut the cardstock into a long rectangle and fold it in half.
On one side, cut out a window sized to fit the food storage bag.
Be sure to leave some extra space on both the vertical and horizontal sides when cutting.
Put a small amount of liquid glue and black paint into the food storage bag and knead it with your hands to mix.
Fold the opening of the bag about three times and seal it tightly with tape so the liquid won’t leak.
Apply double-sided tape to the inner frame and attach the food storage bag to fix it in place.
To finish, draw buttons and other details to make it look like a smartphone.
You can write and erase on top of the food storage bag, so you can enjoy it over and over!
Mini paper bag
Here’s how to make a cute paper bag.
Prepare wire, yarn, beads, colored construction paper, a pencil, a ruler, double-sided tape, and scissors.
Use the ruler and pencil to sketch the bag’s dimensions on the construction paper.
After making fold lines, cut off unnecessary corners or round any areas you want with the scissors, creating your template while imagining the finished shape.
Glue the side edges together, then make four slits in the bottom section to divide it into quarters and fold them to form a box-shaped base.
Once assembled, insert pieces of thick paper cut to the size of the four inner sides to increase sturdiness.
Check that the bag closes, then make the closure by folding pink construction paper in half and cutting out hearts.
Glue the hearts together accordion-style to create a heart clasp, and attach it to the bag as the closure.
For the shoulder strap, thread wire and yarn together, string beads onto the yarn, and your bag is complete.
paper squishy
Here’s how to make a fun-to-squeeze paper squishy.
Prepare construction paper, OPP tape, felt-tip pens, colored pencils, and cotton (stuffing).
Draw your favorite design on the construction paper, color it in, and reinforce it by covering it with OPP tape.
Stack two sheets of the paper and cut out the shape together, then use cellophane tape to seal the edges—leaving a small opening.
Stuff cotton inside, then seal the opening with tape to finish your paper squishy! It’s also fun to make them in different sizes—try both small and large shapes!
Cool! Origami BeybladeNEW!
The swirl-like design looks cool! Let’s make a Beyblade out of origami.
Using three sheets of origami paper, we’ll make the outer and inner decorations of the body, plus the handle.
You can make the inner part and the handle with a cushion fold (zabuton-ori).
For the outer part, first fold all four edges inward, then open up the overlapped corners and collapse them into triangles.
From there, fold the corners toward the center, and fold the triangular sections gathered at the center back outward.
Next, fold the outer edges so they become rounded, then open the triangular sections, fold them in half, and sharpen the tips.
Combine the three parts and you’re done!
A spinning top with a helmet-like shapeNEW!
An origami spinning top you can make and play with! Please prepare three sheets of your favorite origami paper.
The inside of the top and the handle can be made simply by repeating the “zabuton” fold.
The outer part adds helmet-like decorations along the edges, so the steps are a bit more detailed, but if you can fold a crane by yourself, you should be able to complete it without any problem.
In the end, you’ll assemble the parts you made to finish a single top.
Using different colors of origami paper for each part lets you enjoy the color effects when it spins.
Be sure to have fun with top battles, too!
Let’s blow and play! How to fold a blow-top (spinning top you spin by blowing)NEW!
This is a fun blow-top origami that spins when you blow on it.
First, prepare two square sheets of origami paper, and place one with the colored side facing down.
Fold it in half into a triangle, then fold it into a triangle once more.
Open it up, then fold it in half into a square and continue with the “zabuton” (cushion) fold.
Using the closed side as the axis, fold up the left and right edges on both sides.
Fold down the triangles on the two faces.
Make two of these and fit them together.
Try blowing on it with a “fuu—.” Blow strongly or gently and enjoy the differences in how it spins!
Gently Swaying Jellyfish
Perfect for summer hanging decorations! Here’s an idea for making jellyfish out of paper.
First, cut your favorite paper into strips.
Prepare nine strips of the same length.
Layer eight of them in a radial pattern and glue them together; with the remaining strip, glue the ends together to make a loop.
Attach the radial set to the loop to form the jellyfish’s round top.
Next, cut another piece of paper into a rectangle, and make fine slits with a craft knife, leaving about the top 1/5 uncut to create the tentacles.
Roll this into a tube, then connect it to the round top with thread—and you’re done! You can also add cute variations by threading beads onto the string, curling the tentacles, or trimming them shorter.
Easy-to-play! How to fold a spinning topNEW!
Here’s an easy and cool way to fold a spinning top.
Please prepare three sheets of origami paper.
First, fold the paper in half into a square twice.
Open it and fold it into a triangle twice.
Open it, fold it like a boat, then squash it into a square.
Using the center as the axis, fold up the edges of each of the four squares.
Open the folded sections and squash-fold them.
Use the remaining two sheets to fold the center and the top’s axle.
Align the center and the axle, and you’re done! If you make them in various sizes, they also make great decorations, so I recommend it.
How to fold a spinning top that twirls!NEW!
Here’s an idea for a colorful, well-spinning top made with three sheets of origami paper.
You’ll make the outer body, the inner body, and the handle.
The outer part follows the same steps as the “deceiver boat” up to a point.
After making one boat shape on both the top and bottom, open up those corners and squash them to change the shape from a square to a diamond.
Fold the four corners that lie between the diamond’s points outward, then fold the diamond’s points inward.
For the inner part, do the “cushion fold” three times, flipping the paper over after each fold.
For the handle, do the cushion fold three times without flipping, then make a mountain fold along the diagonal.
Finally, press all four edges tightly inward, and it’s done.
Combine the parts to complete a single spinning top.