Paper cup crafts that elementary school kids will love! A collection of fun project ideas
By using familiar materials like paper cups, you can easily create projects that make people say “Wow!” There are lots of fun crafts that also let you learn about the wonders of science, such as beads that bounce with sound, pinwheels that spin, and planes that float gently through the air.
They’re perfect for summer vacation research projects, too! Even kids who aren’t good at crafts can make wonderful creations by following the steps.
Here, we introduce a variety of fun and mysterious crafts made with paper cups.
Be sure to read to the end!
- Let's play with paper cups! Crafts and indoor play
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- [Craft] How to Make a Paper Cup Rocket: Ideas to Make It Fly Far
- A simple yet amazing craft using paper cups! An idea that’s also great for independent research projects.
- Fun crafts using straws
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
- Craft ideas using plastic bottle caps [for boys]
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them
- [For Adults] Simple yet Impressive Crafts: A Stylish, Eye-Catching Collection
- Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
- [Milk Carton Crafts] Fun ideas for elementary school kids. Perfect for summer vacation homework!
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
Paper Cup Crafts That Elementary School Kids Will Love! Fun Project Ideas (61–70)
Tokotoko doll
This is an adorable toddling toy made by combining a paper cup and a battery, and the way it scampers along is irresistibly cute.
Make small slits at two spots on the rim of the paper cup and at the two spots directly opposite them, then fold the slits outward.
Prepare a part by attaching a rubber band to a battery and securing it with cellophane tape.
Hook the rubber band into the slits so it sits inside the cup, and tape it in place.
After adding animal ears or legs to the cup, or drawing your favorite character on it, twist the battery and set the cup upside down.
You’ll be delighted to see it move faster and cuter than you imagined!
Frog instruments
This is a project to make a frog-themed instrument.
Prepare a paper cup, a bendable straw, and construction paper, and start by making a frog out of the construction paper.
You can either cut out and glue on all the small parts, or simply draw a frog on the paper.
Next, make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup large enough for the straw to pass through.
Attach the straw to the back of the frog you made first, then thread it through the hole in the cup to complete the frog instrument! The mechanism works by pushing and pulling the straw so that the accordion section of the straw rubs and produces sound.
maracas
These handmade paper cup maracas make a pleasant rattling sound.
Cut straws into pieces about 1 cm long and put them inside a paper cup.
You can also add small items that make sound, such as beads.
Join another paper cup to the rim with tape, and your maracas are ready in no time! Use stickers, crayons, and more to decorate the outside of the cups and enjoy creating your very own original instrument.
Stretchy paper cup animals
This craft is full of ideas using umbrella plastic that really comes in handy during the rainy season! The “Stretchy Paper Cup Animals” change shape, so they make a big impact and kids are sure to love them.
First, decorate a paper cup as your favorite animal, and punch a hole in the paper cup that will go behind the animal.
Next, cut off the lower part of an accordion (bendy) straw, cover it with a halved piece of umbrella plastic, and tape it in place.
Tie a knot in the other piece of plastic, then insert the straw into the hole in the paper cup.
Finally, tape the knotted end to the bottom of the paper cup—and you’re done! Blow into the straw and it stretches way out—it’s so much fun.
Try making different animals and enjoy crafting together as a parent and child!
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!
