Chapter 4: Paper Crafts
Visual Arts • Fold, cut and weave paper — from origami cranes to Mathura stencils and woven mats.
Original notes — ready CBSE (NCERT, English Medium) • Class 6 • Arts • Book: Kriti
Paper Crafts — EG's own notes, in simple words
Book: Kriti (CBSE, Class 6) | Chapter 4 | Medium: English
Section: Visual Arts
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Paper craft items: a folded fan, a paper flower and a card, with scissors and coloured paper. A general teaching picture; the items shown are examples, not book models.
Children enjoying paper craft together. A general picture about making things by hand; no book activity is pictured.
What the chapter is about
In this chapter you will have the chance to discover paper as a fascinating artistic medium. You will explore various techniques like folding, cutting and weaving. Along the way, you will also learn about Indian art traditions such as paper cuts. You will find many creative ways to experiment with this versatile material. Paper is a magical material: it can change forms easily, and with a few cuts and folds it can morph into organisms and objects.
The art of folding paper is known as origami. It is an art form that originated in Japan and has spread across the world. You might have already learnt to make a few things by folding paper. Learn from your teacher, parents and friends how to make a variety of things by folding paper.
Do you know the story of Sadako? Sadako was a young 11-year-old Japanese girl who developed an incurable disease from the ill effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. While she was undergoing treatment in the hospital, her friend told her a legend about making paper cranes. Sadako began making 1000 paper cranes with the hope of living and extending her life. She died shortly after making 644 cranes. But she herself has become a legend across the world. Even today, people from all over the world make paper cranes and send them to the Children's Peace Monument in Japan. Paper cranes have become a symbol of peace.
Paper cuts are a traditional art form practised in Mathura and its surrounding regions in Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that this art was originally used as a stencil. Nowadays, these stencils are made of paper and are very intricately cut out in a variety of designs and images. You can plan your own pictures and designs, and create simple stencils. You can even use these paper cuts to create lanterns and other decorations. Experiment on your own and share new ideas with each other in your class.
Let us experiment with another method of crafting paper: weaving. If you look at any cloth around you closely, you will be able to see that it is made of tightly criss-crossed threads. This criss-cross is also called warp and weft. Let us try to do this with paper: look at the pictures in the book and try to weave your own mat. Explore other media like natural fibres, cotton wool, bamboo, jute, palm and discarded strips of fabric for weaving.
What you should learn
- Fold paper (origami), cut paper (paper cuts and stencils), and weave paper (warp and weft).
- Tell the story of Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes, and what paper cranes symbolise.
- Describe the Mathura paper-cut stencil tradition and use paper cuts for lanterns and decorations.
- Weave a paper mat, and try weaving with natural fibres, bamboo, jute, palm and fabric strips.
Key Terms
- Origami — The art of folding paper, an art form that originated in Japan and has spread across the world.
- Paper cut / stencil — A design cut out of paper, in the Mathura tradition very intricately cut; a stencil is a cut-out pattern used to make a design again and again.
- Warp and weft — The criss-cross of threads in cloth — and in paper weaving, the criss-cross of paper strips.
- Symbol of peace — Something that stands for peace: paper cranes became a symbol of peace through Sadako's story.
- Versatile material — A material that can be used in many ways: paper can be folded, cut and woven into many forms.
Use child-safe scissors, cut slowly and away from your fingers, and ask a teacher or an adult for help with sharp or difficult cuts. The chapter's paper work uses paper, scissors and simple tools — never force a cut.
Try it: weave your own paper mat
- Look at any cloth around you closely and notice that it is made of tightly criss-crossed threads — the warp and weft.
- Look at the pictures in the book showing paper weaving, step by step.
- Try to weave your own mat with paper strips, crossing one strip over and one strip under, again and again.
- Explore other media for weaving: natural fibres, cotton wool, bamboo, jute, palm and discarded strips of fabric.
Chart / Table: Three ways with paper
| Technique | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Folding (origami) | Fold paper without cutting, following steps. | Paper crane. |
| Cutting (paper cuts) | Cut intricate designs and stencils out of paper. | Mathura stencil; lantern decoration. |
| Weaving | Criss-cross strips as warp and weft. | Woven paper mat. |
Remember
- Origami = folding paper; it began in Japan and spread across the world.
- Sadako made 644 of her hoped-for 1000 cranes; cranes sent to the Children's Peace Monument are a symbol of peace.
- Mathura paper cuts are intricately cut stencils, used for lanterns and decorations.
- Weaving = warp and weft criss-cross, in cloth and in paper.
Exam Tip / Common Mistake
Common mistake: writing only “paper craft means folding paper”. The chapter covers three techniques — folding (origami), cutting (Mathura paper cuts and stencils) and weaving (warp and weft) — plus Sadako's story. Name the technique and one example for each in answers.
Practice set — try it yourself
- What is origami, and where did it originate?
Hint: Think about folding paper and Japan. - Who was Sadako, and why did she make paper cranes?
Hint: Think about Hiroshima 1945, the hospital, and the legend her friend told her. - What is warp and weft?
Hint: Think about the criss-cross in cloth. - Plan a simple paper-cut stencil and use it to decorate a lantern.
Hint: Keep the design simple and the cuts careful. - Weave a small paper mat and list the steps you followed.
Hint: Note over-under crossing of strips.
Questions with Answers
- What is origami?
Origami is the art of folding paper. It is an art form that originated in Japan and has spread across the world. - Tell Sadako's story in brief, and say what paper cranes symbolise.
Sadako was an 11-year-old Japanese girl who developed an incurable disease from the ill effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. In hospital, her friend told her a legend about making paper cranes, so she began making 1000 cranes hoping to live longer, but died shortly after making 644. People all over the world now make paper cranes and send them to the Children's Peace Monument in Japan, and paper cranes have become a symbol of peace. - What is the Mathura paper-cut tradition?
It is a traditional art form practised in Mathura and its surrounding regions in Uttar Pradesh, believed to have been originally used as a stencil. Nowadays the stencils are made of paper and are very intricately cut out in a variety of designs and images, and paper cuts can be used to create lanterns and other decorations. - What are warp and weft?
Warp and weft are the tightly criss-crossed threads that make up cloth. The same criss-cross can be tried with paper strips to weave a paper mat. - Why is paper called a magical and versatile material in this chapter?
Because paper can change forms easily: with a few cuts and folds it can morph into organisms and objects, and it can be folded, cut and woven in many creative ways.
Extension questions with answers — covering more NCERT exercise types
- Name other media, besides paper, that the chapter suggests for weaving.
Natural fibres, cotton wool, bamboo, jute, palm and discarded strips of fabric. - How can you use paper cuts beyond a flat stencil?
You can plan your own pictures and designs, create simple stencils, and use paper cuts to create lanterns and other decorations, experimenting on your own and sharing new ideas with classmates. - From whom can you learn to fold a variety of paper things?
From your teacher, parents and friends.
- Origami (Japan) = folding paper into things, like cranes.
- Sadako: 644 of 1000 cranes; cranes = symbol of peace.
- Mathura paper cuts = intricate stencils for lanterns and decorations.
- Weaving = warp and weft criss-cross, in paper and in other fibres.
How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Check your answers against Questions with Answers, and ask your teacher or parent to check your work.