How to Make a Paper Ship

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.

Steps   

  1. Take a piece of rectangular paper. Fold it in half lengthwise.
  2. Fold the top right corner to the center line. Flip over. Repeat.
  3. Fold bottom edge up about half an inch (1.5 cm). This makes a paper hat shape.
  4. Grasp the hat shape in the center. Do this at the point where the diagonal creases meet.
  5. Pull apart the paper and flatten. You should end up with a diamond-shaped piece of paper.
  6. 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. Flip the paper ship over and repeat.
  7. Hold the paper ship in the middle of the bottom edge. Pull it apart and flatten. Fold bottom edge up at about half an inch (1.5 cm). Flip and repeat.
  8. Take the left and right triangular portions and pull apart.
  9. 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 looseleaf 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.


Warnings   

  • Do not litter. If you play with paper ships in running outdoor water, collect your ship 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.


Things You'll Need   

  • Piece of newspaper or other piece of scrap paper. Notebook size is excellent.