Paper-mache

• Paper-mache is a craft that requires nothing but discarded paper and wallpaper paste or glue. Use paper-mache to make masks, pinatas, figurines or even decorative bowls for fruit or treats. The paper is torn into strips before being soaked in the paste and draped over blown-up balloons. When the strips have dried, the process has to be repeated up to four times, depending on the required thickness of the object. After the last layer has dried, the balloon is deflated and removed, and the hardened, reused paper can be decorated according to its future use.
  
  

Origami

• This traditional Asian craft is an entertaining and educational procedure where small, two-dimensional pieces of paper are transformed into three-dimensional shapes through the process of folding. The paper can be reused but should be cut into squares before it is folded. The most common figure in origami is a crane, as, according to a Japanese legend, whoever folds 1000 of the birds will be granted a wish. However, easier paper folding tasks for beginners might be basic paper hats or boats.
  
  

Bead-making

• Any old and glossy paper material, including catalogues, magazines, flyers and junk mail are suitable to create beautiful beads for necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Prepare a triangular template to ensure that all your beads will have the same size. Cut triangles from the paper material and cover the pieces with household glue before you roll them around a metallic skewer, needle or wire. After the glue has dried, pull the beads off the metal wire and either use them immediately, or embellish the objects further by adding paint and decorations.
  
  

Collages and Mosaics

• Collages are an art form where newspaper and magazine pictures as well as text from various paper sources can be pasted onto cardboard, wood or a canvas to make meaningful pieces of wall art. Collages are particularly suitable for thematic group projects in the classroom or for youth groups. To make a mosaic, the paper has to be shredded or torn into small pieces. The material is then pasted in a designed order onto a surface to create pictures or patterns.