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★ Paper Sculpture Techniques & Inspiration | Video Tutorials for Beginners ★

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An Insight Into The World of Paper Sculpture

The styles of paper sculpture vary widely, from realistic models of building and landmarks, to 3D fantasy landscapes and scenes and abstract art exhibits. Paper (and thin card) are truly versatile materials and you can create your own style and techniques after mastering the basics of cutting.

The tools and materials needed for paper sculpture are things that anyone can get hold of, which means that this craft is open to anyone for a very small investment. I hope this page encourages you to get creative and give this accessible artform a go!

Photo and birdhouse by Carlos N. Molina.

Top Paper Craft Books

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Wire & Paper Sculpture

Photo and sculpture by Polly Verity.

Paper Sculptures in Advertisements

I love the colours in this sculpture, which was commissioned in 2010 by The Sydney Opera House for their open day poster.

Photo and sculpture by Benja Harney.

How-Tos & Sculpting Advice

Paper Portraits
Tips on creating paper hair, noses and more.
Paper Sculpting Tools
The tools you will need if you would like to turn paper sculpture into a hobby.
How to Cut Paper
How to use a craft knife properly.
Folding & Scoring Paper
How to get a neat cut or fold in paper.
Layered Paper Portrait
How to layer papers to form a picture of a girl's face.
3D Flowers
Click on the link to view the full tutorial.
Paper Sculpture Guide
Free file giving you useful info plus a paper flower tutorial.

Delicate Hummingbird

Photo and sculpture by Cheong-ah Hwang.

More Handy Tutorials & Fun Projects

Paper Clone
Make a life-size paper model of yourself!
Instructables
A few how-tos submitted by users.
Paper Engineering Book
Browse this free book on paper crafts.
Paper Cutting Guide
Tips on paper cutting plus some 2D projects to try.
Paper Gems
Awesome faceted decorative gem templates.
Paper Calla Lilies
Very pretty flowers made using wire, clay and paper.
Geometric Pyramids
3D sculpture which you make with various template sizes.
Origami Diamond
Cut and fold paper into a diamond shape - perfect for making a garland!

Movie-Themed Paper Art

Photo and art by Cheong-ah Hwang.

Paper Animations

paper animation, stop motion, snoeck - down here with me
by miradegraaf | video info

128 ratings | 23,835 views
curated content from YouTube

Sculpture Inspiration & Photo Galleries

Jeff Nishinaka
Amazing scenes created with paper.
27 Outstanding Sculptures
Beautiful examples showing the different styles of sculpture.
Structural Paper Art
Giant sculptures as well as more technical structures.
Anna-Wili Highfield
Gorgeous animals made using torn cotton paper pieces.
Paper Effects
A large range of photos showing you possible shapes and effects.
Masters of Paper Art
Including Nike show replicas, stadiums and paper cuts.
Peter Callesen
Amazing art gallery displays on a large scale.
Megan Brain
Interesting blog showing plenty examples of paper art.
Helen Musselwhite
Whimsical forest themed scenes.
Jennifer Collier
Camera, typewriter and more brilliant 3D paper designs.
Chris Gilmour
Amazing cardboard vehicle sculptures.
Paper Birds
Fantastic bird made with paper strips - by Diana Beltran Herrera.
Helen Friel
Amazing scenes - especially the chicken.

Architectural Sculpture

Photo and sculpture by Ingrid Siliakus.

Paper Flower Garden

Created with handmade ivory paper, scissors, and a scalpel.

Photo and flowers by Carol Gearing.

More Of The Best Sculpture Examples

Matt Shlian
Photos of paper sculpture exhibits.
Jeff Nishinaka
Awesome galleries of intricate paper art.
Megan Brain
Video of Madagascar title sequence.
Retro Electronics
Brightly coloured replicas of electronics.
Carlos Meira
Colourful works of art with fringing and all sorts of techniques showcased.
Paper Forest
Inspiring blog with all kinds of paper craft on display.
P is for Paper
Colorful 'P' made with paper swirls and flowers.
Beautiful Hair
Amazing and intricate studies of hair in paper.
Christophe Roberts
Impressive cardboard sculpture installations.
Literary Paper Sculptures
Plus links to more fantastic examples.
Cool Origami
Wet folding is used to create curved shapes and lines.
Noelia Lozano
Paper sculptures are perfect for creating unique 3D cover art.
Happy Paradise
Adorable cartoon-like paper sculptures.
Brian Chan
Origami shapes with intricate details.

Kirigami House

Kirigami = origami combined with paper cutting techniques.

Photo and sculpture by Sharon Pazner.

Mastercard Advert

Photo and sculpture by Benja Harney.

Paper Sculpture Window Display

Window display at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

Photo by Viridia.

Free Downloads & Printables

Freebies from Canon
Lots of paper craft templates to download.
Paper Kraft Blog
Pages of links to free paper crafts.
Calendar of the Month
3D paper calendars - one for every month.
100 Paper Models
100 of the best free paper models and toys.
Super Mario Magnet Board
Cut out and arrange these replica Mario blocks and characters.
Modern Paper Ornament
Easy spiky decoration made by cutting and curling paper.
Calendar of the Month
A new papercraft calendar for every month of the year.
3D Letters Font
Download, print out and build your own alphabet.

Paper Food

Photo and sculptures by Rosa Yoo.

Kirigami House-in-a-House

Kirigami = origami combined with paper cutting techniques (kiri-e is the Japanese name for paper cutting)

Photo and sculpture by Sharon Pazner.

Techniques & Sculpture Examples

Paper Sculpture - Part 1
by emscottarttube | video info

17 ratings | 8,374 views
curated content from YouTube

Video Sculpture Galleries

Amazing Pop Up Card Tutorial
by DesignPD | video info

3,945 ratings | 1,170,847 views
curated content from YouTube

Featured Lenses

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Please Leave a Comment!

  • VioleTanteIffa May 3, 2012 @ 10:51 am | delete
    I never thought that PAPER can makes amazing sculptures too! I would love to try them,but I even fail at making simple origami :P Thumbs up for you..
  • jim-s Apr 16, 2012 @ 12:45 pm | delete
    I am an avid collector of paper projects related sites, being a paper things maker, I think this is a very helpful and inspirational lens.
  • SRitchieable Apr 16, 2012 @ 2:22 am | delete
    I love your lens - I've just featured it on mine: http://www.squidoo.com/perfume-and-pen-gift-sets. Thanks for sharing!
  • SimplyTonjia Mar 15, 2012 @ 12:49 pm | delete
    What an awesome art. Love the dragon and the window display. Thank you.
  • jimmyworldstar Feb 2, 2012 @ 7:45 pm | delete
    These crafts, especially the hummingbird look so fragile! I can't even imagine the time and care it took to finish those.
  • jimmyworldstar Feb 2, 2012 @ 7:45 pm | delete
    These crafts, especially the hummingbird look so fragile! I can't even imagine the time and care it took to finish those.
  • Traceeshobbies Jan 11, 2012 @ 6:15 pm | delete
    very informative.
  • eddgeorge Jan 4, 2012 @ 12:56 pm | delete
    I love the collection of paper sculptures here.
  • kathysart Dec 25, 2011 @ 11:09 am | delete
    great lens, I loved the videos, amazing. THUMBS UP ANGEL BLESSED
  • lyndamakaracreations Dec 25, 2011 @ 3:36 am | delete
    I really liked the paper sculpture video. These are techniques I can use in my work. Thanks!
  • AngryBaker Dec 23, 2011 @ 7:37 pm | delete
    Thanks.. I loved looking at these paper sculptures. I'm a big fan of Peter Callesen. Thank you for showing me other artists that work with paper... Makes me wonder if I could sit down with paper and scissors, and actually create something.
  • MagnoliaTree Oct 15, 2011 @ 7:54 am | delete
    Another amazing and fun lens!
  • TheresaBesaw Sep 29, 2011 @ 8:32 pm | delete
    Amazing work. I can't pick a favorite there are so many that are astounding
  • marivi_2 Sep 15, 2011 @ 4:03 am | delete
    To see more paper engineer works, please visit my web site.
    http://marivi_10.tripod.com/myhomenew.html
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Orderly lines form at Rothschild retrospective
... however, this painting also has two cast handmade paper domes strategically and humorously placed where the woman's breasts would be. For a related sculpture, "Pink Nude" (1984), Rothschild applied acrylic paint to pieces of particle board linked ...
Ad for Fire-Resistant Clothes Uses an Unusually Artsy Approach
By STUART ELLIOTT This is a paper sculpture created to resemble an industrial setting before it was set afire for a video ad for the Bulwark brand of flame-resistant clothing sold by the VF Corporation. A division of the apparel giant VF Corporation is ...
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Hi there, and thanks for visiting! A bit about me: I have been running a jewellery shop called The Wellington Boot since graduating from university with... more »

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