Julie Finn
Construction paper is not archivally safe, and nor is it meant to be. Construction paper is the perfect ephemeral crafting supply; use it with abandon, and when you’re done, recycle or compost it!
Construction paper is normally associated with preschoolers, and there are a ton of preschool-friendly projects below. But I’ve also found some projects that adults and older kids are going to love; check out the list of awesome construction paper crafts below, and find YOUR next project!
1. Caterpillar. This is a great project for kids to practice patterning.
2. Snake. Kids who aren’t excited by paper chain caterpillars will be excited by paper chain snakes!
3. D is for Dragon. Can you figure out how to make an animal for every letter of the alphabet?
4. Bubble wrap dragon. Kids who love dragons will also want to make this one printed with bubble wrap.
5. DIY paper dinosaur hat. This hat is awesome enough to be a component of a Halloween costume.
6. Indoor bean bag toss. Construction paper can make the targets for all kinds of fun, indoor games.
7. Medieval crown. Your kid is never too young to read about King Arthur.
8. Stamped sheep. Kids can use their fine-motor skills with homemade stamps on these construction paper sheep.
9. Paper chain. Decorate for any holiday!
10. Ice cream cone. Kids will LOVE decorating these.
11. Ladybug. There are so many cute ways to use a kid’s handprints in art–and here’s another one!
12. Bigger and better ladybug. This ladybug is for more advanced kiddos.
13. Ladybug on a leaf. Okay, here’s just one more ladybug craft! This one’s on a leaf!
14. Paper pizza. Here’s a fun introduction to fractions.
15. Penguin. How cute is this construction paper penguin with a heart for a face?
16. Rainbow flowers. You won’t believe how easy these are to make.
17. Layered pendants. Okay, this project is AMAZING. I can’t wait to make these with my kids.
18. Giant beanstalk. And when I say giant, I mean floor to ceiling giant!
19. Bat. Use black construction paper and a cardboard toilet paper tube to make a cute bat for Halloween.
20. Ice cream cone balloons. All you need to turn a helium balloon into an ice cream cone is brown construction paper and tape.
21. Mosaics. Use scraps of construction paper to create a real mosaic.
22. Mosaic names. For a bigger challenge, kids can mosaic their names onto black construction paper.
23. Mosaic owl. Here’s a smaller mosaic project for kids who might get overwhelmed by a giant piece of paper to cover.
24. Mosaic Easter egg. And here’s an Easter version!
25. Paper rainbow. Spend a rainy day making rainbows!
26. Construction paper and glue chalkboard. You don’t need chalkboard paint to make a working chalkboard!
27. Alphabet spaceship. Kids will love adding their names to this construction paper rocket.
28. Garland. You can get the ombre effect even with construction paper.
29. Lion heads. Teach kids how to curl construction paper, and they’ll make a beautiful lion’s head and mane.
30. Paper flowers. Decorate for every season with these paper flowers.
31. Ripped construction paper landscape. This is no preschool craft! Layer ripped construction paper to make an interesting landscape background for your art project.
32. Star person. Here’s a great way to teach kids how to do an accordion fold.
33. Torn paper panda. Kids will be intrigued by this project that doesn’t require scissors.
34. Origami cubes. The color combinations are endless for these clever little origami cubes.
35. Chalk pastel art. Black construction paper is just meant for chalk pastels.
36. Construction paper ship. Combine art AND history with this ship from the Age of Explorers.
37. Flower crowns. These are so colorful and elaborate that you won’t believe they’re made from construction paper.
38. Popsicle stick superheroes. Popsicle sticks and construction paper make excellent superheroes!
39. Snail. Here’s a cute craft for kids who love creepy-crawlies.
40. Watermelon. This pink and green construction paper watermelon is a great craft for kids who can already cut well.
41. Woven basket. You can never have too many baskets.
42. Paper lanterns. These make any space look festive.
43. Chick. Look at what a cute little chick you can make from yellow construction paper!
44. Another chick. Here’s a different way to make a chick, and you can use the same method to make a rabbit.
45. Easter chick card. And here’s yet another chick, this time as part of an Easter card!
46. 3D paper rainbow. Add a whole new dimension to the regular old paper rainbow project.
47. Heart animals. These make GREAT valentines.
48. Construction paper and toilet paper tube Christmas village. Start saving toilet paper tubes now, and in December, you’ll be ready to make this whole village!
49. Paper roller coaster sculpture. While younger kids are making heart animals, let older kids make these surprisingly sophisticated–and adorable!–paper roller coaster sculptures.
50. Shape train. What other fun things can kids make while practicing their basic shapes?
Have anymore great construction paper crafts to add to my list? Tell me about them in the Comments below!
