Papercraft Tutorial: 5 Essential Items For Making Papercraft Models

So... you want to get into making papercraft huh? Well then, welcome to the club of amazing awesome people who love making papercraft models. I started in 2009 and loved it from the get go. In the initial stages, one of the exciting and sometimes challenging things was knowing what items to get and acquiring them. This is a little guide of items you need to do papercrafting of models.

1. The TEMPLATE
2. Something STURDY
3. Something SHARP
4. Something STICKY
5. Miscellaneous USEFUL ITEMS

THE TEMPLATE

So if you're into making realistic models, unless you're really good at a certain 3D program that allows you to make 3D models of almost anything under the Sun, you're probably gonna need a template. What I call a template is usually a .pdf file that contains all the separate pieces needed to make whatever it is you are making, like pieces to a 3D puzzle. Just Google what you'd like to make and 9 out of 10 times, there's gonna be a template that suits you. Download that sucker and print it out. There you go, you have your template.

SOMETHING STURDY

This is where it comes down to personal preference. Unless it is a simple single-copybook-page 'paper airplane' you are making, you are gonna want it to be sturdy. Some people print the template directly on thick paper. My printing options won't allow me to do this (I print at the school library -_-) so I never actually tried this.

My first motorbike model, I just used regular blank copyright pages and doubled it (i.e. I glued another paper to the back of the printed template) and voila, thickened paper. It has lost some of it's sturdiness 4years after the fact, so I wanted to try something thicker, but not too thick or else those tiny pieces will give you hell to cut and fold :/

What I'm currently doing now, since this is a more detailed project and one I definitely want to stay sturdy for a while, I am doubling the template with sketch pad paper, which is cheap, a little more thick than normal copyright, but not too thick to cause a headache. So there ya go.

SOMETHING SHARP

So after we have a sturdy template going on, time to cut :) Papercrafters the world over recommend a crafting knife, especially for teeny tiny pieces. I have never bought a knife and unless I am gifted one (hint hint anyone who knows me in real life, I accept gifts year round) I probably won't invest in one any time soon.

I use several scissors. I generally use one huge one, and I have three small ones, each with different cutting styles. I also use a razor blade for cutting circles, which is a bit dangerous but almost as effective as a crafting knife.

SOMETHING STICKY

Paper glue: It works wonders. I use the white ones because they tend to dry faster than clear ones and generally stick better.

Craft glue: I used to use this glue in a green and yellow tube that was thick like molasses yet really sticky, did not dry immediately so you could adjust and mold stuff, and most importantly did not stick to your fingers. This worked small wonders everywhere, every time, especially when gluing small pieces unto the model. I can no longer find this glue anywhere :( But I'm still on the lookout.

>> N.B.: Crazy glue is completely ineffective (ensure you read the labels to see if the glue is for paper as well >_<

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

- A matchstick for placing glue in hard to reach areas
- A pin for making small holes
- Plastic for making windows
- Other decorative bits and pieces that will make the model your own style

- Can't think of anything else I've actually used before so I guess that's it for now :)

So that's it, this list is by no means an extensive one, I am no expert, these are just from my experience in papercraft. This actually ended up being a sort of papercraft introduction tutorial so I guess we killed two birds with one stone. Enjoy and happy papercrafting ^_^

Early Morning Craving #4

I am currently in my Obstetrics and Gynecology rotation and interestingly enough (or not) it is making me feel especially ticklish for all things pastry. Maybe it's a strange hormonal-environmental thing (or not) but hey, that's the feeling I'm getting these days. So this post is going to be about my most favorite pastry of like, all time (past few years) and that is THE CINNAMON ROLL. Yes yes, say it with me, delicioso right?

The last time I made cinnamon rolls was probably around my birthday earlier this year when I made myself make time to make it. I tend to have obsessional slowness at times especially when it comes to all things cuisine, so what should take the average wo(man) around 3 hours to prepare and bake, usually takes me around 5 hours on a good day, the main reason why I tend not to bake things during the school week >_< Anyhoo, here goes my Early Morning Craving for September:

Don't even act like that don't look good! =)

Papercraft Project: Yamaha MT-01 (Introduction)

SO...  in my last craft post, I mentioned a bike I was gonna start working on. Well I did start it with the greatest of intentions of being done with the engine in a month's time, but like most great intentions these days, it was soon forgotten under other more important stuff (school is such a creativity killer, it's not even funny at this point -_-).

But, I did start the project, and where there is an alpha, there is bound to be an omega at some point in time, a la circle of life and whatnot. So the name of it is the Yamaha MT-01. 

Yamaha MT-01, Image taken from Yamaha's website: here

So this is what I'll be recreating. I downloaded the template for this ultra-realistic Yamaha MT-01 papercraft from Yamaha's website. Nope, it is by no means an original design, I am really not that talented to create a 3D template of a motorbike, but thank God the lovely people at Yamaha have done that for me. So I'll be putting it together from the ground up ^_^

There are five (5) volumes in the assembly of this papercraft so it really is gonna take me some time. I had previously done a bike but it was not as extensive as this one, so I'm super pumped to get this going. So now that you know what I'll be up to papercraft-wise, you can join me on my papercraft journey in the next couple of months :) Stay tuned yall.

Early Morning Cravings #3

Ah yes, time for some early morning cravings yet again. Simple yet oh-so effective, you can never ever go wrong with some fried chicken and chips, like ever :)


Let's see what we have here:

1. Crunchy Fries
2. Fresh salad
3. Something in between Popcorn chicken and chicken nuggets
4. Of course your condiments, garlic sauce and ketchup

I also recently found out some really disturbing news, apparently in Australia, you have to pay extra for ketchup at food outlets :O Wow, oh the horror. I loves me some ketchup, I really do, it is a fact of life. There are certain foods that just require some good old tomato ketchup on it to make it more palatable. This is just another reason to thank God that I live in Trinidad and Tobago, where on any given day of the week, I can pass in a KFC outlet, buy a simple portion of fries, and then proceed to take a week's worth of ketchup from their condiment stand :) Oh sweet, sweet T&T ^_^

My most favourite and fulfilling hobby: Paper Craft!!!

LILLA WENEDA - Paper Crafted Model

This right here, is my mini masterpiece :)

Is it not amazing what you can make with paper, glue, and imagination?

This is one of the things that indeed brings extra joy in my life. I love paper craft projects. I love the idea of creating amazing realistic looking models from paper, glue, and my bare hands. I love that it makes me feel like a surgeon manipulating these tiny parts and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The feeling of accomplishment after slaving over a project for months is like that of no other. If only I could turn this venture into a profitable one, I def would quit my day job, and be a completely contented human being ^_^

This particular Lilla Weneda project took me several months to do. I started and took several months break in between with school and whatnot. I ended up finishing it just in time for my faculty's very first Art Gala (pictured is my craft on display at the exhibition). It was the most extensive project I took on and I was very happy at the result :)

Currently working on another project, a motorbike, it is ten times more difficult than the first motorbike I made so I'm not sure if I will stick with it, given these rotations I'm going through does not give me much free time, but will update soon so stay tuned yall ^_^

Early Morning Cravings #2

Mmmmn, delicioso!

So... I am currently in my Paediatric Rotation and word on the street is that its difficulty creeps up on you. So I've been hitting the books from early, as in I actually stayed up on a Saturday night into Sunday morning 'studying', with no exams in the very near future. Truthfully, I have not done this in a while >_< So along with studying comes the hunger, that's just how it works. I literally eat three times as much as normz when I study. Anyhow, so this is what I have been craving this past weekend. Let's see what we have here, from top clockwise:

• Ketchup and BBQ sauce mix 
• Fancy rice
• A pair of Chicken Fajitas
• Mixed fresh salad
• And of course topped off with some good old Tropical Punch Kool-Aid and ice made with a few drops of food colouring 

Looks yummmy right? =)