Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
Let me introduce some handmade toys using paper cups!
If “store-bought toys get boring quickly” or you “want to do crafting play with your child,” try making toys with easy-to-find paper cups.
We’ve gathered ideas that children of preschool and kindergarten age are sure to love, so have fun!
Paper cups, which we usually use for drinking, can move or even become musical instruments! They’ll surely make kids’ eyes sparkle with interest.
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Let’s make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys (21–30)
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!
a button that makes you want to press it
We’ll make a “you just can’t help pressing it” button out of paper cups.
Wrap a thin strip of masking tape all the way around the middle of a paper cup, then cut along the top and bottom edges of the tape to separate the cup into two parts.
Take the ring where the tape was and attach it vertically to the side with the bottom.
Finally, insert the other paper cup from its wide opening—and you’re done!
Well-spinning paper cup top
This is a spinning top made with a paper cup that spins well and is fun to watch because of its colorful look.
All you need are a paper cup and two plastic bottle caps.
First, cut slits into the paper cup and spread them out like propeller blades, then attach an axle made by combining the two caps.
That’s enough to complete the basic shape, but it’s recommended to decorate the “propellers” with an eye toward how it will look while spinning.
The impression changes depending on whether you spread the propellers before decorating or decorate first and then cut the slits, so try out various patterns.
Kids and adults alike will get hooked! Paper cup claw machine
A crane game you can make with paper cups that fascinates both kids and adults.
Punch small holes in the bottoms of two paper cups, fold them into eight equal sections, and alternate the folds back and forth.
Leave four of the sections as slits to create movable parts.
Next, insert a straw with cuts in it to act as the arms and provide movement.
Connect that straw section to the other paper cup, and you’ve completed a mechanism that can be operated like a crane.
By adjusting how you move it, you can enjoy grabbing prizes.
It’s relatively easy even for beginners at crafting, and the materials are simple to prepare.
It’s a fun idea that you can get excited about making together with kids—and have a great time playing with afterward.
Frisbee
This is a handmade frisbee made by cutting open paper cups.
Divide the circumference of two paper cups into five equal parts each, and make straight slits down the sides.
Open them out into flower shapes, then decorate one with patterns using pens or stickers.
Place the other paper cup over the opposite side (the side without the drawing) and staple them together to complete a colorful frisbee! Be careful not to pinch your fingers when using the stapler.
Once you’re done, have fun with the frisbee’s unpredictable and amusing movements.