Paper ships are a toy that many a child has made since the creation of paper. They are easy to make and they can be "sailed" on any small body of water, such as a bath, a puddle, a pond or even a little stream if you don't mind possibly losing it.
Step 1
Take a piece of rectangular paper and place it in front of you so the paper is in portrait format - with the longer edges to the side. Fold it in half lengthwise so the top meets the bottom - with the fold at the "top" of the piece of paper.
Step 2
Fold in to half width and unfold - this marks your center line.
Step 3
Fold the top right corner down so the top edge lines up with the center line.
Step 4
Flip over. Repeat. This should create a "house" like shape with a "big" roofline and about an inch of paper below the triangle of the roof.
Step 5
Fold bottom edge up. Flip over the paper.
Step 6
Fold bottom edge up.
Step 7
This makes a paper hat shape.
Step 8
Grasp the hat shape in the center. Do this at the point where the diagonal creases meet.
Step 9
Pull apart the paper and flatten. You should end up with a diamond-shaped piece of paper.
Step 10
Fold the bottom edge up. Leave about a 1/4 of an inch (0.65 cm) border between the top edge and the edge of portion that has been folded-up. Once done, flip the paper over.
Step 11
Fold the bottom edge to line up with the other side.
Step 12
Hold the paper ship in the middle of the bottom edge. Pull it apart and flatten.
Step 13
The paper should now be this strange shape.
Step 14
Take the left and right triangular portions and pull apart. The bottom edge will flip up on its own.
Step 15
Look at your creation: Your paper ship is now complete.
Tips
- The paper ship is based on the paper hat design.
- It is recommended that you use a rectangular sheet of paper rather than a square one.
- Lighter paper tends to work better than heavier paper such as construction paper. Newspaper is excellent.
- If you use loose leaf paper (paper used for essays, etc. at school), make sure the binder holes do not end up somewhere where water will get in. If that is the case, tape the holes up.
- Familiarity with the art of origami is helpful with this project.
- If you want it to last longer, evenly cover the bottom of the ship with tape.
- You could also take some plastic wrap and coat the bottom of the boat which will stop water from getting in and is easier then tape.
- Using small pebbles for ballast would help if it doesn't sail evenly.
- Don't try to add masts and sails to make it look like a proper ship. It will only make the ship unbalanced because of the weight
- you can also draw faces on some marbles or smooth pebbels as passengers or the crew :)
Warnings
- Do not litter. If you play with paper ships in running outdoor water, collect your ships back after playing with them.
- Be careful when playing near water. Do not play with your ships in deep water, fast-running water or dirty water.
- Don't play near fast moving rivers. If you fall in you can be easily be swept away by the current.
Things You'll Need
- Newspaper sheets or other pieces of paper. (Notebook size is excellent for a small boat).
- crayons or markers( to decorate your vessel)
