Paper toys and crafts are fun and easy to make! There are so many options that you’ll never run out of ideas. This week, let’s try making 3D paper birds. The coolest part? You can make their wings flap with just a pull! Let’s start!

Things you need:

1. One A4 sized paper (the colour of your choice)

2. Two googly eyes

3. Double tape

4. Glue stick

5. Scissors

6. Pencil

Directions:

1. Fold the paper from one corner to the opposite edge to make a triangle. Since the paper is A4-sized, you will have about three inches of straight paper left at the bottom. Cut off this strip from the folded triangle; picture 2

2. Cut the folded triangle in half, now you have two triangle pieces, pictures 3 and 4.

3. Take the leftover straight strip from the paper, fold it in half, and then cut along the fold. Leave one piece as it is, and cut the other piece into two thin strips; picture 5.

4. Paste double-sided tape on the folded strip. Before securing it with the tape, fold one of the triangle pieces to create a smaller triangle. Place this smaller triangle right on the double-sided tape, ensuring the folded side of the triangle is in the taped area, as these will be our wings and the open side has to be upwards. Fold the strip to secure the wings inside, pictures 6 and 7.

5. Take the leftover triangle piece of paper, make two circles for eyes and cut them out. You can use a bottle cap or jar lid as a mould, depending on the size of the bird. Cut a small, yellow or orange-coloured triangle, and paste it at the bird’s mouth. Also, paste googly eyes on both sides of the circles, picture 8.

6. To give a 3D look, cut thin slits or fringes at the edge of the wings and curl them with the help of a pencil or stick. picture 9.

7. Paste the thin strips of paper that we cut earlier, about one inch below the edge on the inside of the wings, picture 10.

The bird is ready to take flight, pull the strips down, the wings will go down, push them up slowly, and the bird will take flight!

The writer can be contacted at ithecraftman@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 3rd, 2024