Welcome to the Copiers Etcetera Inc. blog! This is where you’ll find updates on new products, sales, and other deals on office machines, as well as helpful advice on how you can make your office more efficient, practice sustainability in the workplace, and help your copiers, printers and fax machines work for you. You might find troubleshooting resources and tips for those small breakdowns that you can fix yourself or recommendations for upgrades if your current devices aren’t cutting it, or even fun paper crafting tutorials! The possibilities are limitless.

In honor up Mother’s Day (it’s just a couple days away, make sure you’re prepared), we’re dedicating our very first blog post to paper crafts you can create with that extra construction paper you have lying around the office. These are great activities for young kids who want to make gifts for their moms, grandmoms, aunts, and other women in their lives.

Here’s a sampling of some of the best crafts we’ve found online:

 

Paper Hand Print Lily

This is a fun twist on the old hand-tracing activity from Thanksgiving. With a few simple materials, you can make adorable white lilies.

You’ll Need:

  • Green and white construction paper
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Green and orange pipe cleaners
  • Tape
White Lilies

Directions:

  1. To make the leaves, fold a piece of green construction paper in half lengthwise, then unfold.
  2. Draw two curved lines on either side of the fold line to create a double leaf shape, then cut out. You should have a leaf on either side of the fold.
  3. On the white paper, trace your hand and cut it out.
  4. Take the pencil and wrap the fingers of the hand print around it, holding for 10 seconds. This makes the ends curly.
  5. Take a shorter bit of orange pipe cleaner and a longer green one, then wrap the end of the green pipe around the middle of the orange bit so that the orange pipe stands up in a “V” shape. Bend the ends of the orange pipe a bit.
  6. Wrap the bottom of the hand print around the top of the green pipe so that the orange pipe is sticking through among the curly fingers. Use tape to hold it.
  7. Use the pencil to poke a hole through the center of the double leaves (at the fold line) and thread them onto the green pipe cleaner up to the white paper. Use tape for hold.
  8. Repeat steps 1-7 to make a bouquet!

 

DIY Paper Mobile

This is a perfect project for anyone who knows a new mother. Every baby should have a mobile above the crib, but they don’t know the difference between what’s expensive and what’s made from leftover paper!

You’ll Need:

  • 2-3 popsicle sticks
  • Paper in at least two different colors
  • Circle cutouts or tracers
  • Rough thread or thin yarn
  • Hot glue gun
  • Acrylic paint (optional)
  • Needle

Paper Crane Baby Mobile

“Colorful Cranes” by Peter Alfred Hess is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Directions:

  1. Get creative with the paper. You can do different shades of pink or blue, hanging the darker shades toward the bottom and light on top, or different complementary colors. Avoid bright colors, as this can be overstimulating.
  2. Cut out the circles. If you need something to trace with, you can usually find things around the house. Small pill bottles or pill bottle caps work well. Depending on how long and dense you want the mobile to be, you may need a lot of circles, so you made need a paper circle punch-out from the craft store.
  3. Use the needle to poke holes in the center of each paper circle.
  4. Cut similar lengths of yarn or thread. They don’t all have to be the same length.
  5. Thread the circles with your string. If the paper is light and the string is thick enough, the circles should stay on their own. Otherwise, you can use knots or crimping beads below each circle.
  6. Criss-cross the popsicle sticks and glue them together at the center. You can paint them first if you want.
  7. Glue or tie the ends of the strings to the popsicle sticks.
  8. Take additional (same length) pieces of string and tie each to an end of a popsicle stick, then join the other ends of the strings together above and tie or glue them together so that the mobile can hang.

 

Paper Picture Frames

This is a really simple project that allows for a lot of creativity. This version could probably be done without spending any extra money on supplies. Everything can be found around the office.

You’ll Need:

  • Colored paper
  • Cardboard
  • Tape/glue
  • Whiteout
  • Empty paper towel roll
DIY Picture Frame

Directions:

  1. Cut out a simple shape for the back. A basic rectangle is easiest.
  2. Print out a nice photo on your office printer and cut it to the size and shape of the cardboard.
  3. Glue or tape it on!
  4. Cut out a frame on your chosen-color paper. Cardstock works best.
  5. Grab the paper towel roll from the office kitchen and paint the edges on one end with the whiteout. You can also use regular child-safe paints, but this is office-themed.
  6. Use the painted cardboard rolls to make a circle pattern on the frame! If you’ve got some glitter handy, even better.
  7. Glue the frame over the photo.
  8. Use extra cardboard to make a stand for the frame. This can be done with a simple triangle shape.