More than 2,000 years ago, the Chinese were the first to use fiber from hemp and the inner bark of the mulberry tree to make paper. Today paper is of our most important industrial products. In the United States, we each use (on average) 660 pounds of paper a year. Paper, it seems, is everywhere. And that's why paper craft projects are always a popular choice for home or school.
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Ken Blackburn loves making paper airplanes and currently holds the Guinness Book record for time aloft (27.6 seconds.) It all started at age thirteen, when Ken created a paper plane that could fly over a quarter of a mile. He kept refining the design, and while in college won his first world record. It was November, 1983, and Ken's winning entry stayed aloft for 16.89 seconds. And yes, he does share his plans on how to fold a record breaking plane. Look for the "Paper Airplanes You Can Fold" link.
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"Making your own paper is fun, easy, and a delightful project for the weekend. Homemade paper lends a distinctive personal touch to any project from greeting cards to a personal note or letter. And it's much easier than it sounds once you draw off your first page or two." This seven-step "2torial" takes you through the entire process from gathering your materials to drying your papers on a clothesline. Allow about an hour to create your homemade paper, and then three hours to dry (assuming the weatherman cooperates.)
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For younger hands, MakingFriends.com gives us fourteen "economical, age-appropriate paper projects for two to five year olds." All projects include detailed instructions, and many include printable templates for cutting or coloring. But don't stop at the preschool paper projects. MakingFriends.com is chock full of pages and pages of craft ideas for kids of all ages.
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Created by the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), Paper University includes not just paper craft projects but also interesting science activities ("How Does a Paper Towel Absorb Water?") and an introduction to the ecology of paper manufacturing ("Are We Running out of Trees?" and "How is Paper Recycled?") Click on Art Class for five craft projects including a recipe for paper mache, pulp ornaments and jewelry made with candy molds, and a stuffed paper bag fish.
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By Barbara J. Feldman. Originally written on Mar 07, 2001. Last Modified on Jul 27, 2011.
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Honorable Mentions
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
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