Description
Paper is incredible stuff. It’s cheap, easy to use, and easy to recycle. It’s lightweight and easy to cut or tear, but incredibly strong when folded, layered, or rolled. It can stand stiff as a board, pop up like a spring, or float like a leaf. It’s disposable, but can last for centuries. Its surface can be rough or creamy, smooth or shiny. Sometimes it’s so thin you can see through it; other times, it’s thick enough to hold globs of paint. But it can also be beautiful all on its own. With so many kinds of paper around—from fancy artists’ watercolor paper to slick recycled magazine page to plain old copy paper—it’s not surprising that people today use paper to make everything from jewelry to robots. And you can too!
The projects in Paper Inventions were inspired by the cool ways you can use paper to explore STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. As you’ll discover, there’s a lot of overlap between science and math, math and engineering, and even art and technology. That’s what makes inventing with crafts materials so much fun!
In each chapter, you’ll find projects for beginners as well as experienced Makers. Some can be done in an hour or two. The most complicated may take a few afternoons. Most require only ordinary art and household supplies. But you’ll also get suggestions for making them bigger and better using kid-friendly products and materials. You’ll also learn where they came from and how they work. You’ll get a list of suggested materials and where to get them. And simple step-by-step instructions and illustrations will make it easy to try the projects on your own or with friends and classmates.
Whether you like to make crafts or play with electronics, there’s a project that will challenge you and unleash your creativity. Of course, it’s important to remember that all inventors run into snags. When your project or new idea doesn’t work out the way you planned, don’t give up! Learning how to troubleshoot by going back over every step until you find the problem is all part of the creative process. Luckily, when you’re working with paper, it’s not hard to repair a broken piece with a little tape, or even start over if you have to.