15 Easy and Creative Newspaper Craft Ideas for Kids

By Mrunal | Updated: 21/06/2024

Origami or paper crafts can be one of the most fun things to teach your child. Rather than using spanking new paper, however, old newspapers might serve as better craft material so that you can keep your children entertained. Not only does this provide entertainment, but it also helps in developing fine motor skills and creativity. These newspaper craft ideas are eco-friendly and budget-friendly, making them the perfect craft for kids. Engaging in these projects will foster creativity and teach the importance of recycling and reusing materials. Dive into these fun newspaper crafts for kids and watch your children’s imaginations soar! Read on for some easy newspaper craft ideas.

15 Amazing Newspaper Crafts for Children

Here are some arts and crafts for kids with newspapers with step-by-step instructions:

1. Newspaper Tree

This little tree can be left as it is or painted to look more realistic. Either way, it is a great way to show off your little one’s talent, especially around the holidays.

Newspaper Tree

What You Need

Newspaper
Rubber bands
Scissors

How to Make

Roll the newspaper and tie the bands around it, one at the bottom and the other at the middle.
Make four cuts around the roll from the top and all the way to the middle band.
Put your finger into the centre of the roll and pull out the inner pages to make layers.
You now have a newspaper tree.

2. Rolled Newspaper Roses

Learn how to make decorative newspaper roses! Stick them on whatever you like as decorations, be it on your books, picture frames, or you can even help the kids stick them artfully onto a wooden stick or plank, spray paint it and use it as a more elegant piece of décor.

What You Need

Square pieces of paper
Scissors
Pencil/pen
Glue

How to Make

Take the circular piece of paper and draw a spiral shape on it. You needn’t be too precise as this will give your rose a more random look.
Starting at the outer edge, start cutting the spiral, till you reach the centre of the paper and are left with one small round bit in the middle. You should now have one long spiral strip.
Start at the outer edge and start rolling the entire length of the spiral. Make sure that you roll it tightly.
When you have rolled it all up, paste the last circular bit at the base of your roll. Make sure to adjust the tightness of the rolls before you do this. glue the bottom of the roll together.
When you let go of the rose, the petals will open out, the glued part being the bottom of the flower. Stick it to whatever you like – an ice-cream stick, a dried twig, wooden skewers, etc. – to add some floral flavour to it.

3. Newspaper Sailors Hat

Teach your kids how to make a very easy newspaper hat.

What You Need

Newspaper sheet
Scotch tape (optional)

How to Make

Fold the newspaper in half.
Keep the side that opens facing you. Now pull the top corners of the paper towards the centre. You will now have a triangle, with a thin strip beneath it.
Fold one of the bottom flaps upwards, to tuck the triangle in.
Flip the hat onto the other side. Fold the other flap up.
If you want, use scotch tape to secure the folds. Your hat is ready.

4. Newspaper Sword

Children love to act out scenes from movies or even play pretend games. If your kids are fascinated by pirates or musketeers, why not indulge them in a couple of rapier-style newspaper swords?

Image Credit: en.origami-club.com

What You Need

Newspapers
Tape
Cardboard
Markers

How to Make

Lay two newspaper sheets one on top of the other.
Fold the top right corner in to form a little triangle on the top right corner of the paper.
Begin to roll the paper tightly from the folded part. This will make the sword sturdier.
Once you have rolled it completely, tape down the loose corner.
To make the handle, take the bottom third of the sword and fold it over to make a ‘D’-shape, bringing the end over to join the length of the sword. There should be a wide enough gap in the ‘D’-shape so that your child can grip the sword handle easily. Tape it into place.
Take the cardboard piece and cut it into an oval shape of about 12 cm in diameter. Cut a hole in the middle of the oval that is big enough for the “blade” of the sword to go through. This will be the guard just above the D-shaped handle.
Use the markers to decorate the guard before you slide it into place.
Cut out a small rectangle from the cardboard and decorate it. Once done, wrap this into a cylindrical shape around the blade of the sword, just above the oval-shaped guard and tape this securely. The cylindrical piece of cardboard should go around the newspaper blade and rest on top of the oval-shaped guard This will make the sword guard remain in place. Your sword is ready!

5. Newspaper Picture Frame

This newspaper art for kids is so easy that is will be the perfect handmade gift from your child.

Source: www.instructables.com

What You Need

Newspaper
Cereal box
Scissors
Tape

How to Make

Cut out a frame from the cereal box.
Cut out a matching frame-back to go with it and tape it together on three sides. Make sure to leave one side open so that the picture can slide in.
Your child can now use the newspaper to decorate the frame. You can shred the pieces of newspaper and simply stick them onto the frame; or if your child is really creative, you can cut out some shapes to stick onto the frame as well.
Slide a picture into the frame and your baby’s DIY gift is complete.

6. Newspaper Autumn Leaves

There is something so magical about the autumn season. All the leaves turn to shades of red, brown and gold as winter approaches. Get your little autumn fairies to help you make some of these lovely decorations.

What You Need

Newspaper
Freshly fallen leaves
Autumn coloured crayons
Scissors
Twine/Ribbon/Tape

How to Make

Lay the leaves on the floor and place a newspaper over it. The idea is to trace the shape of the leaf and its veins onto the paper.
With one of the crayons, begin to lightly colour the paper until the shape of the leaf begins to form.
Your kids can use the different autumn-coloured crayons to define the veins and give the shading more life.
When satisfied with the colours and shades, cut out the leaf.
You can use the strings or ribbons to string them together, or you can use tape if you want to stick it to the children’s bedroom window. The light will filter through beautifully.

7. Newspaper Heart Streamer

Make this easy DIY heart streamer for Valentine’s Day, or just for decoration.

What You Need

Newspaper
Heart Stencil
Scissors

How to Make

Take a sheet of newspaper and stencil in the hearts so that they are in a row and touching one another
Cut out the shape of these hearts, not cutting in between them. This way, they will remain together without having to use a string or any other material.
Your heart streamer is ready.

8. Newspaper Lamp Shade

If you have an old paper lampshade lying around that you haven’t used in a while, try redecorating it with your kids. It will be a fun project that you can all have fun doing together. Not only that, but looking at it will bring back fond memories of your children.

Source: stowandtellu.com

What You Need

Water
Glue
Newspaper
Paint of different colours and brushes
Old Paper lampshade

How to Make

Shred the newspaper into pieces. You will be sticking these onto the old lampshade.
For sticking, use a glue mix which has equal parts water and equal parts glue to make the sealant.
Take the old paper lampshade and use the glue mixture to stick the pieces of newspaper. The old paper of the lampshade should be completely covered with the newspaper pieces without any gaps. Now leave this to dry.
When it is completely dry, laminate it with another coating of the glue mixture. Once it is completely dry, you can either draw and paint some colourful designs over this or leave the newspaper covering as it is to give an artsy and rustic look to the lampshade.

9. Xs and Os

Forget about playing this with paper and pen, try playing it like a board game instead. Follow these steps with your kids to make yourselves a fun and giant size game of Xs and Os.

What You Need

Six to seven sheets of newspaper
Cereal/cardboard boxes
Tape
Acrylic paints

How to Make

Roll one of the newspaper sheets along the length and stick tape on it to form a pipe. Flatten this pipe to form a flat stick. Make four such ‘sticks’. Paste them together like a hashtag (‘#’) sign to form the grid for Xs and Os.
Use the cereal/cardboard box to cut out Xs and Os (5 each) of the desired size. Cover them with newspaper. Allow your kids to colour code them if they want! Your family-size Xs and Os is ready!

10. Newspaper Beads

Create beautiful jewelry with these easy-to-make newspaper beads. Your children will love making necklaces, bracelets, or even keychains with their handmade beads.

Source: Pinterest

What You Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Glue
Toothpicks
String or elastic

How to Make

Cut the newspaper into long, narrow triangles. The base of the triangle will determine the length of your bead.
Starting from the wide end, roll the triangle around a toothpick, applying a small amount of glue as you roll.
Once fully rolled, apply a final layer of glue to secure the end of the paper. Slide the bead off the toothpick and let it dry.
Repeat the process to create multiple beads. Once dry, string the beads together to make jewelry.

11. Newspaper Gift Bags

Turn old newspapers into eco-friendly gift bags perfect for any occasion.

Source: Pinterest

What You Need

Newspaper
Glue
Scissors
Ribbon or string
Decorative items (optional)

How to Make

Fold the newspaper in half and glue the sides together, leaving the top open.
Create a base by folding up the bottom of the bag and gluing the corners inward.
Fold the top edge over to create a clean finish.
Punch holes in the top and thread the ribbon or string through to create handles.
Decorate the bag as desired.

12. Newspaper Pinwheels

Create colorful pinwheels that spin in the wind. This fun and easy craft for kids will provide hours of enjoyment.

Source: Pinterest

What You Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Pushpin or thumbtack
Pencil with eraser
Glue
Markers or paint (optional)

How to Make

Cut a square piece of newspaper. The size of the square will determine the size of your pinwheel.
Let your kids decorate the square with markers or paint. They can create patterns, drawings, or just add colors.
Fold the square diagonally in half to form a triangle, then fold it again to form a smaller triangle. Unfold the paper back to the square. You should see crease lines forming an ‘X’.
Cut along the crease lines from each corner towards the center, stopping about an inch from the center point.
Bring every other corner to the center of the square and secure them with a dab of glue.
Push a pushpin or thumbtack through the center of the pinwheel and into the eraser of a pencil. Make sure it’s loose enough to spin.

13. Newspaper Hot Air Balloons

Create whimsical hot air balloons that can be used as decorations or a fun mobile. This is an enjoyable craft for kids and a great way to repurpose old newspapers.

Source: Pinterest

What You Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Glue
Paint and brushes
String or yarn
Small paper cups
Markers or crayons
Hole punch

How to Make

Cut out six identical balloon shapes from the newspaper. Each shape should resemble the top half of a hot air balloon.
Let your child paint or color each balloon piece with bright colors and patterns.
Fold each balloon shape in half. Glue one half of a shape to the half of another, continuing until all six are glued together, forming a 3D balloon.
Use a small paper cup as the basket of the hot air balloon. Decorate it with markers or crayons.
Punch four evenly spaced holes around the rim of the paper cup. Cut four pieces of string or yarn, each about 6 inches long. Tie one end of each string to the holes in the cup.
Punch four holes at the bottom of the balloon and tie the loose ends of the strings from the basket to these holes.
Cut a longer piece of string and attach it to the top of the balloon. Use this string to hang the hot air balloon from the ceiling or a mobile frame.

14. Newspaper Woven Basket

Teach your children the basics of weaving with this simple newspaper basket project.

What You Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Glue

How to Make

Cut the newspaper into long strips of equal width.
Lay out several strips side by side and weave additional strips through them to form a square base.
Once the base is complete, fold the strips upward and continue weaving new strips horizontally to form the sides of the basket.
Glue the ends to secure the basket.

15. Newspaper Collage

Encourage your child’s creativity with a newspaper collage project.

Source: Pinterest

What You Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Glue
Paper or cardboard as a base
Markers or paint (optional)

How to Make

Cut out different images, words, and shapes from the newspaper.
Arrange and glue these cutouts onto a paper or cardboard base to create a collage.
Optional: Use markers or paint to add extra details and colors.
Let it dry and display the collage.

FAQs

1. How can newspaper crafts help kids learn?

Easy newspaper crafts help children develop fine motor skills through cutting, folding, and shaping paper. They foster creativity by encouraging kids to repurpose materials creatively. Overall, they provide a hands-on educational experience that blends artistry with practical skills.

2. How can newspaper crafts be adapted for different age groups?

Preschoolers can enjoy simple activities like tearing or painting newspaper for sensory exploration. Grade schoolers can tackle more complex projects like origami or weaving with newspaper strips to enhance spatial awareness. Teenagers can engage in advanced crafts such as papier-mâché or detailed collages, fostering artistic expression and fine-tuning their skills.

3. What are the benefits of using newspapers for crafts?

Using newspapers for crafts is cost-effective and eco-friendly, promoting recycling and reducing waste. It’s versatile, allowing kids to experiment with different artistic techniques. Additionally, it provides a practical way to teach sustainability and creative problem-solving skills. Overall, newspaper crafts offer a valuable blend of creativity, environmental awareness, and skill development for children.

4. Can newspaper crafts help improve children’s concentration and focus?

Yes, engaging in newspaper crafts requires children to concentrate on tasks such as cutting, folding, and assembling. These activities promote focus and attention to detail as kids work through the steps of their craft projects, enhancing their concentration skills over time.

Keep an eye on your children if they are going to be using scissors and ensure to do the cutting for them if they are too young to do it themselves. Other than that, your children should have a marvellous time getting creative with something so easily available, cheap and versatile. There are many more recycled newspaper crafts for kids once you are done trying these simple ones out. You kids will love this new pass time and so will you.