Awesome Papercraft

What you’re looking at is a model of a KTM Duke 390 motorcycle. If it was made from plastic or 3D printed, it would be impressive. But this tiny replica was made entirely from paper harvested from cookie boxes. YouTuber Paper Modelling shows how they created the mini bike with such precision. Even the wheel spokes and chain links are crafted from paper.

This book of Japanese patterns is great for making your own origami sculptures. It’s packed with 200 sheets of 6-inch paper squares printed with intricate designs in shades of blue and white with solid colors on the back. Great for making collages or papier-mâché projects too.

Artist Harukiru is an expert at making sculptures from product packaging. This time, they transformed a single box of Japanese Pocky candy into a skinny sword-wielding samurai riding on his second sword like it’s a surfboard.

When somebody says they’re going to build a cardboard model of a Star Wars ship, we assume it would be something you could fit on a bookshelf. But cardboard artist Bodoc likes to make things at a slightly larger scale. This time-lapse video shows how he created a 1/2-scale version of a crashed TIE advanced X1 fighter out of shipping boxes.

The guys from FliteTest spend most of their time building and flying model aircraft. One of the materials they use to build flying machines is FT Maker Foam. Josh took some time out from flying to build a huge model of the Iron Giant out of the lightweight foam board. It ended up being much larger than he had initially planned.

Artist Greg Olijnyk makes incredible sculptures and dioramas out of cardboard, glue, and toothpicks (with a little help from coffee and whiskey.) Among his creations is David vs. G 2.0, a retelling of the David vs. Goliath story with a tiny cardboard samurai taking down a gigantic robot. His robot assembly line is fantastic too.

Artist Chris Conrad spent weeks folding this 1:1-scale human from a single uncut piece of paper. The figure has detailed scales and wings, and carries a tiny dragon in a second color. The time-lapse video shows how this incredible creation came together, starting with making the 19×19 foot sheet of paper with his friends.

Andymation shows off a series of awesome pop-up books from Japanese artist Yusuke Oono. The books feature intricate papercut art that offers a 360º scene fully opened, with dozens of vistas when flipping through its pages. Designs include Mount Fuji, Earth and Moon, Hokusai Sparrow Dance, Snow White, and Snowy World.

Karakuri is the Japanese art of making papercraft automata. Originally published in Japan by artist and “paper engineer” Keisuke Saka, this book is filled with designs for fourteen different Karakuri models, including a tea-serving robot and a penguin on an iceberg that moves when you turn its crank. Best for ages 13+.

Romanian origami artist Patrick Alberto Vraja shows off an awesome paper sculpture he created of a Blakiston fish owl, based on a design by Katsuta Kyohei. He folded the amazing bird entirely from two layered 150cm x 150cm sheets of tissue paper.

Watch an artist make this incredibly precise model of a Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa motorcycle entirely out of paper and glue. Every tiny detail is there, from the engine to the dashboard gauges to the drive chain. It’s just one of several intricate papercraft models you can find on the Paper Modelling YouTube channel.

Dinosaur fans know that velociraptors actually looked like pre-historic turkeys. But the version most of us know comes from Jurassic Park. Epic Cardboard Props adds to his curious collection with an awesome sculpture of the fictitious dinosaur. Want your own cardboard raptor? Grab the template files here.

Korean artist Lee Ji-hee created this incredibly intricate papercraft replica of the original Heidelberg Letterpress. She made the sculpture from paper and corrugated cardboard, to celebrate the history of the printing industry in Seoul, South Korea. Find more of the artist’s awesome work in her Behance portfolio.

Harukiru loves to make sculptures out of packaging from various food and beverage products. Watch as the artist takes a cardboard sake container and slices it up to create an intricate samurai figure, complete with an intimidating mask and a paper katana.

Marc Hagan-Guirey – aka “the dark king of kirigami” – creates marvels with paper, a ruler, a sharp blade, and an equally sharp eye. For Le Corbusier Paper Models, he created templates and step-by-step guides so patient crafters can cut and fold their own mini-models of 10 iconic buildings by modernist architect Le Corbusier.

Looking for a fun and challenging activity to do at home? Artist Byriah Loper’s book is filled with designs and techniques for making some incredible folded polyhedral paper sculptures. You’ll need a variety of different types of paper, a bone folder, and a few other supplies to complete your own paper art. Definitely not for beginners.