Paper Sculpture Techniques & Inspiration | Video Tutorials for Beginners
An Insight Into The World of Paper Sculpture
The styles of paper sculpture vary widely, from realistic models of building and landmarks, to 3D fantasy landscapes and scenes and abstract art exhibits. Paper (and thin card) are truly versatile materials and you can create your own style and techniques after mastering the basics of cutting.
The tools and materials needed for paper sculpture are things that anyone can get hold of, which means that this craft is open to anyone for a very small investment. I hope this page encourages you to get creative and give this accessible artform a go!
Wire & Paper Sculpture
Introduction To Paper Sculpture
Paper sculpture is the manipulation of paper to form a 3D image or structure. The techniques used are quite basic, with paper cutting, curving/shaping and folding being the main ones in use. You can also incorporate origami skills, embossing and other paper craft methods depending on the project. You will find that most paper sculptures are bold and unfussy in order to make the biggest impact. Clean lines are very important.
For larger projects, techniques like paper mache can be incorporated to add strength, and card is often used to replace paper as the project grows in size. Wire and wood can be used to support paper or card pieces if necessary.
Being precise and exact (and patient!) is vital in paper sculpting. Always work on a clean surface, make sure your hands are always clean and use minimal glue/tape. Click here for information on materials, adhesives and tools you'll need. Tape is very useful for sticking card or paper immediately, and it's not a messy adhesive. Glue however can be messy if you're not careful, but it can be applied much more precisely (with a toothpick) in smaller and more awkward areas.
The folds in your paper shapes must be precise - take care not to add folds or creases where you don't want them because this will result in an untidy looking result. Easier said than done though!
There are all kinds of papers you can use, including book pages. Usually the paper used is plain, acid-free and between 80gsm and 150gsm in weight. Anything heavier will be thin card. Heavier papers will be stiffer and will be able to hold their shape better, whilst lighter weight papers will flow better and can be cut/curled more easily. The weight of paper to use depends on the kind of project you are planning.
Paper sculpture is used in many different ways; advertisements (magazines or animated shorts), art installations and window displays being the main examples. To start with I'd suggest trying to replicate a 2D photo or picture in paper so that you have something to work from.
Good Luck!
Top Paper Craft Books
Books are an excellent resource for browsing the best examples of sculpture, as well as getting an insight into the techniques involved from experts in the medium.
Paper Sculptures in Advertisements
I love the colours in this sculpture, which was commissioned in 2010 by The Sydney Opera House for their open day poster.
How-Tos & Sculpting Advice
- Paper Portraits
Tips on creating paper hair, noses and more. - Paper Sculpting Tools
The tools you will need if you would like to turn paper sculpture into a hobby. - How to Cut Paper
How to use a craft knife properly. - Folding & Scoring Paper
How to get a neat cut or fold in paper. - Layered Paper Portrait
How to layer papers to form a picture of a girl's face. - 3D Flowers
Click on the link to view the full tutorial. - Paper Sculpture Guide
Free file giving you useful info plus a paper flower tutorial. - Papercutting Guide
Tips on paper cutting plus some 2D projects to try.
Delicate Hummingbird
Fun Things for you to Make at Home
- Paper Clone
Make a life-size paper model of yourself! - Instructables
A few how-tos submitted by users. - Paper Dragon Model
Click on the image to enlarge the how-to, which includes a brilliant guide for shape templates. - Paper Gems
Awesome faceted decorative gem templates. - Paper Calla Lilies
Very pretty flowers made using wire, clay and paper. - Geometric Pyramids
3D sculpture which you make with various template sizes. - Origami Diamond
Cut and fold paper into a diamond shape - perfect for making a garland! - DIY Barnacle Wall Art
This is a very impressive piece of homemade wall art. - Vintage Ice-Cream Van
Adorable model made with foamboard, paper and card. - Daisy Chain
Learn how to shape your own fresh daisies.
How to Make a Textured Leaf - A Very Easy Paper Shaping Method
paper-sculpture-leaves
This method is a very easy way to make textured paper leaves, which are ideal for attaching to greeting cards and using in other paper crafts.
What You Will Need:
* Tweezers; Pointed and thin craft tweezers
* Green paper
* Scissors
* Pencil
- Cut out a piece of the (green) paper so it is a bit bigger than the leaf you want to make.
- Fold the paper in half and cut out half a leaf shape. You can mark the shape out with a pencil first if you wish.
- You will now have one symmetrical leaf shape, however keep it folded in half for the next part.
- Take your tweezers and position them as shown in the diagram, with the point almost touching the fold in the paper.
- Rotate the tweezers clockwise (or anti-clockwise) to make a 'kink' in the paper. Whilst you are rotating the tweezers, make sure you hold the top and bottom of the leaf straight so that you don't just make one single fold, but more of a triangle shape with a fold on both sides.
- Continue down the leaf shape, evenly spacing out the 'kinks', until you reach the bottom.
- Unfold the paper and you should be left with a textured leaf.
- Finished!
Craft Tweezers on Amazon - Perfect for Crimping Paper & Other Fine Details
Architectural Sculpture
Movie-Themed Paper Art
Fun Paper Animations
Free Downloads & Printables
- Freebies from Canon
Lots of paper craft templates to download. - Paper Kraft Blog
Pages of links to free paper crafts. - DIY Paper Torso
Magnificent project to challenge yourself with. - 100 Paper Models
100 of the best free paper models and toys. - Super Mario Magnet Board
Cut out and arrange these replica Mario blocks and characters. - Modern Paper Ornament
Easy spiky decoration made by cutting and curling paper. - 3D Letters Font
Download, print out and build your own alphabet. - Paper Flower Printables
Huge array of flowers you can make with just paper.
Paper Flower Garden
Created with handmade ivory paper, scissors, and a scalpel.
The Palace of Westminister
Sculpture Inspiration & Photo Galleries
- Jeff Nishinaka
Amazing scenes created with paper. - 27 Outstanding Sculptures
Beautiful examples showing the different styles of sculpture. - Structural Paper Art on Pinterest
Pinterest is a fun way to browse galleries of amazing paper sculpture. - Anna-Wili Highfield
Gorgeous animals made using torn cotton paper pieces. - Paper Effects
A large range of photos showing you possible shapes and effects. - Masters of Paper Art
Including Nike show replicas, stadiums and paper cuts. - Peter Callesen
Amazing art gallery displays on a large scale. - Megan Brain
Interesting blog showing plenty examples of paper art. - Helen Musselwhite
Whimsical forest themed scenes. - Jennifer Collier
Camera, typewriter and more brilliant 3D paper designs. - Chris Gilmour
Amazing cardboard vehicle sculptures. - Paper Birds
Fantastic bird made with paper strips - by Diana Beltran Herrera. - Helen Friel
Amazing scenes - especially the chicken. - Diana Beltran Herrera
Superb and colourful paper bird sculptures.
Kirigami House
Kirigami = origami combined with paper cutting techniques (kiri-e is the Japanese name for paper cutting).
Paper Sculpture Window Display
Window display at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
Video Sculpture Galleries
More Of The Best Sculpture Examples
- Matt Shlian
Photos of paper sculpture exhibits. - Megan Brain Animation
Video of Madagascar title sequence. - Retro Electronics
Brightly coloured replicas of electronics. - Carlos Meira
Colourful works of art with fringing and all sorts of techniques showcased. - P is for Paper
Colorful 'P' made with paper swirls and flowers. - Beautiful Hair
Amazing and intricate studies of hair in paper. - Christophe Roberts
Impressive cardboard sculpture installations. - Literary Paper Sculptures
Plus links to more fantastic examples. - Cool Origami
Wet folding is used to create curved shapes and lines. - Noelia Lozano
Paper sculptures are perfect for creating unique 3D cover art. - Happy Paradise
Adorable cartoon-like paper sculptures. - Brian Chan
Origami shapes with intricate details. - Calvin Nicholls
Ridiculously detailed multi-layered paper art.
Paper Food
Mastercard Advert
Inspiring Creations in Paper & Card
- Irving Harper
A brilliant array of paper sculptures and wall art. - Kirsten Hassenfeld
Wire & vellum diamonds and jewels - with a little tutorial too. - Paper Cone Cave
An art installation you could easily recreate on a small scale. - Sculpted Trash
Amazingly detailed paper replicas of trash and packaging. - Fideli Sundqvist
Including food still life and a suitcase scene. - Strictly Paper
The home of papercraft - you could spend hours browsing this site! - Jodi Harvey-Brown
Amazing scenes created from the pages of books. - Joel Cooper
Amazing masks made from just a single sheet of paper.
Kirigami House-in-a-House
Techniques & Sculpture Examples
Please Leave a Comment!
Fiona from South Africa on August 07, 2016:
I thought the hummingbird was spectacular and the art inside the toilet tube amused me - I would never have thought of that. This was a great hub - thanks :)
GIOVANNIRUSSOGRAFICO from Limena, Padua, Italy on December 23, 2015:
We are an Italian 3D Popup Kirigami postcards Company since 1993.
Check our goods:
https://www.behance.net/giovannirussografico
Timothy Whitt from New Jersey on January 08, 2015:
What a detailed list of ideas to create many different paper crafts. I look forward to trying many of them.
Rock Artist on August 10, 2014:
awesome!
Roy from Northern Ireland on August 08, 2014:
absolutely Fantastic!! I am definitely going to make an attempt at some of these.
Rose Jones on June 09, 2014:
I have not tried this, but I love paper crafts. I have limited my attempts to paper mache.
irene-pierpont-1 on May 25, 2014:
I love doing any paper projects from simple origami, kirigami, origami architecture, modular origami , pop-up cards, creating dioramas using paper only and paper modeling. It's so nice to find another source for my hobby
SlashedReads on December 23, 2013:
WOW this is the most comprehensive collection of information and resources on paper sculpture on the entire web. I could spend all day looking at these artists' work. I'm in awe of the people that do it. Thanks for all your research and effort.
anonymous on September 17, 2013:
nice as visit
anonymous on August 16, 2013:
What a delight to find you and all the information. I remember when I was younger I didn't give paper much of a thought. But as my miniature knowledge has grown my delight has too. I began doing paper models in 2007 after my husband passed away. I bought my first computer at 50. I had never even turned one on before. So I was scared to death thinking it may blow up or something. But also with my husband gone and living in a small town among other things I was trying to cope with. I sat night after night and day after day. I taught myself how to use my computer. I did pay for a lady to give me a lesson for $80.00. I didn't learn a thing. Except to save my money. I learned a whole other world. I got craft patterns,crochet patterns and ideas. But I didn't feel so alone. I joined miniature groups. Paper modeling sites. Then my mind changed . Over a few years looking at others creations and doing paper models myself I could see it is all in the way we let ourselves think. My trash can doesn't get as much as it did. I just might create something with the beautiful paper. So being here and seeing and reading all you (I can do) can do opened my mind even more. I will be back as often as I can and learn as much as I can. Because Riley is up there rooting for me the way he always has. Thank you for letting me visit. Alisa
anonymous on August 01, 2013:
I was just looking for something interesting on the Internet when I saw all this magnificent and amazing paper creation!!! It is unbelievable how a simple piece of paper can be turn into something so delicate and Mind blowing !!!! To be honest I had never try this type of art but I would really love to, so if someone knows about a website where they give like instructions or the cutouts model to print please let me know or send me a link at eleduar.94@hotmail.com and thank u !!!
Xpeyur on June 03, 2013:
Fantastic lens. Just love it. I'm into 3D graphics, so this is just it. Thank you.
peterjg1972 on April 15, 2013:
Great
i have experience of ceramic sculpture, but this has given me some new ideas
belinhafernandes on April 11, 2013:
Congrats on creating such a beautiful lens!
ManfromModesto LM on February 15, 2013:
Kirigami... looks like there might be a lot of trial and error there!
TheCandle LM on February 14, 2013:
WOW!!!! I had no idea that these kind of paper sculptures existed. Truly amazing! Major thumbs up!!!
Judith Nazarewicz from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on November 04, 2012:
These sculptures are really incredible!
AngelDey on July 14, 2012:
Very inspirational artwork on this lens. I'm not sure I'm up to this kind of challenge but I'd like to try a little bit of paper sculpting.
anonymous on May 03, 2012:
I never thought that PAPER can makes amazing sculptures too! I would love to try them,but I even fail at making simple origami :P Thumbs up for you..
jim-s lm on April 16, 2012:
I am an avid collector of paper projects related sites, being a paper things maker, I think this is a very helpful and inspirational lens.
Sher Ritchie on April 15, 2012:
I love your lens - I've just featured it on mine: http://www.squidoo.com/perfume-and-pen-gift-sets. Thanks for sharing!
SimplyTonjia on March 15, 2012:
What an awesome art. Love the dragon and the window display. Thank you.
jimmyworldstar on February 02, 2012:
These crafts, especially the hummingbird look so fragile! I can't even imagine the time and care it took to finish those.
jimmyworldstar on February 02, 2012:
These crafts, especially the hummingbird look so fragile! I can't even imagine the time and care it took to finish those.
Traceeshobbies on January 11, 2012:
very informative.
eddgeorge lm on January 04, 2012:
I love the collection of paper sculptures here.
kathysart on December 25, 2011:
great lens, I loved the videos, amazing. THUMBS UP ANGEL BLESSED
Lynda Makara from California on December 25, 2011:
I really liked the paper sculpture video. These are techniques I can use in my work. Thanks!
AngryBaker on December 23, 2011:
Thanks.. I loved looking at these paper sculptures. I'm a big fan of Peter Callesen. Thank you for showing me other artists that work with paper... Makes me wonder if I could sit down with paper and scissors, and actually create something.
MagnoliaTree on October 15, 2011:
Another amazing and fun lens!
TheresaBesaw on September 29, 2011:
Amazing work. I can't pick a favorite there are so many that are astounding
marivi_2 on September 15, 2011:
To see more paper engineer works, please visit my web site.
http://marivi_10.tripod.com/myhomenew.html
