An alternative to unsafe pyrotechnics are paper poppers made at home. With the help of step-by-step instructions, they can be made by children independently or together with their parents. Such creations are especially relevant for celebrating the New Year, birthday, wedding, friendly party, etc.
To make different types of homemade toys you only need paper, a desire to create, a little courage and a minimum of time.
Paper for crackers
The most common material for quickly creating “sounding” entertainment for schoolchildren is thin sheets of notebooks, magazines, and newspapers.
However, to increase the volume of the crackers, thicker paper is more suitable, namely:
- gift (packaging, wrapping) in different colors;
- cardboard;
- office coated (white, colored).
How to Make a Paper Popper: Step-by-Step Instructions
After choosing any of the available types of white or colored paper, you can start making the cracker with your own hands, following these step-by-step instructions:
- place the sheet on a flat surface and fold it in half (lengthwise), fixing the fold line by lightly smoothing it;
- fold the corners on each short side (similar to making a paper airplane);
- re-bend the corners where the corners are bent;
- fold all the formed ends together, and then fold the sheet in the middle;
- straighten the bend and then bend the edge inward;
- after turning the blank of the future model over to the other side, the horizontal edges must be folded together to form a flapping “pocket”;
- To test the sound, take the formed triangle with your index finger and thumb, and then, stretching your hand up, sharply lower it down. The air entering the pocket opens it, which is accompanied by a pop.
- After the pocket has been brought back to its original appearance before checking, your hand-made creation is ready for use.
How to make a firecracker using origami technique
Making a firecracker is one of the simplest varieties of the ancient Eastern arts and crafts – origami (ori kami). In Japan, this name means “folded paper/deity,” and in China, “the art of the white sheet.”
The main rule of original and unique origami is the usual folding of dry paper according to the pattern or, for more complex ones, in a moistened form.
An important requirement is to avoid adding or subtracting anything unnecessary.
Today, this art form, which has spread throughout the world, exists in two forms:
- Classic origami, in which simple figures are folded manually into “hills” and “valleys” without the use of scissors or glue.
- Modular (volumetric), which involves creating complex compositions using various parts. Glue can be used to connect them.
For beginning origami fans, the most suitable option is not to buy a classic paper popper, but to make it yourself with your own hands.
The step-by-step instructions for creating the simplest model are as follows:
- make a fold in the middle along the length of the sheet of paper (A4) and bend all 4 corners towards it;
- fold this new formation first along the vertical axis, and then along the vertical axis;
- turn the bottom part of the resulting square upwards;
- bend its bottom layer upwards, then the top part;
- Fold the resulting square in half.
After these actions, when you vigorously swing the firecracker, the desired claps will be heard.
Loud Cardboard Firecracker
The following materials are used to make a loud-sounding model:
- cardboard (A4 format);
- thick wrapping (packaging), colored paper;
- cylinders made from cardboard toilet paper rolls or similar in texture and size (2 pcs.);
- PVA glue;
- scotch;
- awl;
- decorative cord;
- confetti, finely chopped tinsel, etc.
The main processes are performed in the following order:
- Cut a circle out of cardboard with the diameter of the existing cylinder, and then glue it into the resulting hole.
- Glue a rectangular sheet of wrapping paper along the entire length of the created base.
- Make a second cylinder in a similar way and make a lid for its cut off part equal to ¼ of the base of the future firecracker.
- Make a small hole in the center of the lid using an awl and thread a string through this hole, securing one end with a knot.
- Fill the cavity of the formed cylinder with the available blanks.
- Close the lid tightly, which after a sharp tug on the cord will open with a “firework” of sounds of flying filler.
How to make a double cracker out of paper
The algorithm for making this type of handicraft is quite similar to the single model. According to the masters, such toys are best made from double sheets of paper. The difference also consists of other nuances that provide its louder sound.
To make a double paper popper with your own hands, you can use the following step-by-step instructions:
- bend the sides towards the center of the sheet on both sides (first along the line of the shorter fold, not the long one);
- fold the workpiece strictly along the center of the created shape, then turn it over and fold it along the fold line in the opposite direction (you should get something like a trapezoid with a depression in the middle);
- Fold the figure in half again, and then bend the connecting corners ("wings", "pockets") inward, folding them twice again. The "pockets" of the clapper formed on both sides are capable of increasing the sound due to the sequence of their opening with sharp movements of the holding hand.
Experienced craftsmen, in order to obtain louder sounds, practice making even triple clappers, i.e. with 3 wings.
DIY Confetti Popper
The basis for creating a confetti popper is the use of cardboard cylinders with various fillers (small pieces of bright paper, foil, glitter, tinsel, etc.). Along with the simple creation of a loud craft from cardboard, you can also experiment with more impressive options.
To make such a “sounding” confetti popper at home, you will need the following materials:
- thick cardboard tube for paper towels (cylinder);
- cardboard (thin) from packaging for tea, chocolate, candy, etc.;
- paper (colored, corrugated);
- cylinder fillers (ready-made confetti or made with a hole punch, finely chopped gift/colored paper/film, Christmas tree tinsel, colorful candy wrappers/foil from candies/chocolate, etc.);
- Scotch tape (single and double sided);
- glue;
- toothpick/match;
- needle and thread;
- scissors.
A similar craft is made as follows:
- Make holes in thin cardboard for a cylinder with a smaller diameter than the paper towel tube.
- Cut out a square of corrugated paper (15x15 or slightly larger) and glue a cardboard circle into the middle. Thread a needle with a thick thread through the center without fully pulling out one end, and tie a piece of a toothpick or match to the other. Instead, you can use an inflatable balloon, securely fix it to one end of the cylinder, and then use it as a firing mechanism by pulling it.
- Glue some tape (double) to the edge of the cylinder, and attach a paper square to it (glue can also be used). The cardboard circle with the match/toothpick should be inside the cylinder.
- Decorate the blank with colored paper.
- Prepare the available filling and pour it into the cylinder.
- Make a “plug” in the form of a circle from corrugated paper (diameter – up to 25 cm) and glue it to the workpiece using double-sided tape/glue.
A popper made in this way can be used repeatedly by replacing the mechanism of action itself and updating its contents.
Making a Paper Cracker: Tips
Creating original working firecrackers at home requires taking into account the following features:
- the use of paper of sufficient density and large size allows one to achieve spectacular claps, while small sheets of paper, thin, office paper, are not capable of “sounding” loudly;
- creating more wings allows for louder effects;
- for crafts of this kind it is necessary to use only perfectly flat sheets of paper, tubes, etc.;
- When making any type of crackers, it is necessary to carefully smooth out all the folds with your fingers;
- the absence of ready-made cardboard tubes can be replaced with a piece of cardboard rolled into a tube of the required diameter and well sealed;
- The use of firecrackers is not recommended in the presence of small children and animals, as sudden movements and loud sounds can greatly frighten them.
How to Decorate a Paper Cracker
The design of paper crackers has many options, which can be limited only by the imagination of the creators or the absence of the desired decor. Traditionally, colored paper is often supplemented with colorful stickers, glitter, various shiny tinsel, humorous inscriptions. On the wings of the crackers there can be images in the form of flowers, animals, birds, stars, etc.
When decorating, it is appropriate to take into account the specifics of the events and holidays at which the crafts will be used.
Christmas crackers can be decorated with more than just snowflakes, but also the zodiac signs of the coming year, of individual people. All these designations can be easily played out in a personal manner during a family or friendly party. At a birthday party or family celebration, it is good to use photographs, stickers with kind or humorous wishes.
It is advisable to entrust children with decorating finished products using paints and colored pencils. Such involvement allows children to develop motor skills and develop independent decision-making skills. Along with this, they can create extraordinary compositions and different decoration options.
Moreover, such involvement in creativity allows the results of their work to be used to organize children's exhibitions.
The proposed step-by-step instructions for making a paper popper with your own hands can become an impetus for creativity for people of different ages. In addition, such a toy-popper, starting from the moment of production, is able to unite loved ones, and during use - to please both the creators and everyone present.
Video: DIY Paper Popper Step-by-Step Instructions
How to make a paper popper with your own hands, watch the video:
Origami popper, master class: