What is Papercraft?

If you’re suffering from boredom during this lockdown, one of the things you can do to help fill and structure that time is take up a crafting hobby. This gives you the satisfaction of working on a new skill, can help to displace the anxiety of the times we’re all living through, and might leave you with some new decorations to use around the home or pass on as unique, personal gifts.

It’s well worth thinking about which craft you want to focus on. Many of them use different equipment and supplies, and even in the ones where there’s some crossover in the tools you use – like sewing and embroidery – they produce different items, and use different sensibilities: sewing makes items, embroidery is decorative.

Today we’re helping you make this choice by taking a look at papercraft, so you’ll have a better understanding of what it is, and whether it’s a good fit for how you want to spend your time.

What is Papercraft?

Papercraft is not, itself a craft. It’s a subcategory, containing many different crafts, which use similar tools and techniques. The base material is paper – though different crafts use different kinds of paper, and it’s important to use the right weight and texture to get the right result.

Papercrafts combine easily, so if you develop your skills across different areas, they can work together so you can create more impressive projects. Scrapbooking is a fun way to creatively preserve and display memories from the past, but if you also learn about quilling and origami, your displays can get more ambitious!

Common Tools

If you’re interested in experimenting with different papercrafts there are some tools you can buy that will always be useful.

Paper – while the kind of paper for each craft is different, keeping a draw well stocked with different colours, weights and textures of paper and card means you’re always ready for a new project.

Scissors – you’re regularly going to have to cut papers to size, or chop them into your required shape or pattern. A sharp pair of scissors (or a knife and cutting mat) ensures you can do this accurately.

Glue – Cardmaking, quilling and scrapbooking all need glue, and you might need several different types: standard PVA, clear glue and a glue gun all have their place in the crafters’ armoury, and it’s well worth making sure you everything you need in stock!

If you’re interested in trying papercrafts for the first time it’s well worth looking into a papercraft subscription box. These are increasingly widely available and include everything you need for a complete project, so you can see if it’s right for you!