Paper Crafts

Simple explanations of the meanings of some of the terms you may come across when paper crafting with children. This list is evolving as I come across and use terms that I think are relevant for here. Let me know if you think there are any that I should add!

Brad – see Split Pin below.

	Chenille Stick – Also know as a pipe cleaner. They are short wire sticks with various colors of fibers sticking out. They were originally used for cleaning pipes but are now used in all sorts of crafts.
	Collage – A picture is built up from mainly flat items glued onto paper. See What is Collage? for more information.
	Crepe Paper – A lightweight crinkly textured paper that is usually bright colored and is commonly used for decorations.
	Cubomania – A form of collage where a picture is cut up into squares and then reassembled, usually not into the original design.
	Dabber – Used for applying paint, usually around shapes like a template. Usually made from a bunched up piece of fabric. See Dabber for Applying Paint for more information.

Decoupage – Uses cut out images that are glued to a surface, usually an object, and then covered with coats of vanish or lacquer. Découpage comes from the French word découper, ‘to cut out’.

	Kirigami – A variation of the well known paper craft of origami that includes cutting the paper. The word kirigami comes from the Japanese words Kiru for ‘to cut’ and kami for paper.
	Origami – The Japanese art of paper folding. The word Origami originates from the Japanese words ori for folding and kami for paper. The technique is based on a square piece of paper that is folded into a sculpture. Origami traditionally does not use scissors to cut the paper or any glue. See What is Origami? for more information.

Paper Filigree – see Quilling below.

Paper Tole – A 3-dimensional picture is created from a number of copies of the same 2-dimensional image. Parts are cut from the prints and layered up to create the final image.

Pipe Cleaner – see Chenille Stick.

Photomontage – A collage made up of photos, or parts of photos. These are often made digitally now.

	Plasticine – This is the brand name for a pliable modeling clay that does not dry out in air. It is used for play extensively for art in schools, for sculpture students, and for clay animation.
	Quilling – Also known as ‘Paper Filigree’. A decorative design is created from rolled strips of paper. Once they are rolled they are shaped and glued into place. The term quilling comes from the quill that the paper is traditionally wound around.
	Split Pins – also known as Brads. These are great for making joints or wheels on paper crafts. They usually have a small flat head and the pin section splits into two after it has been pushed through the paper and then opens up to join the paper so that both pieces can still move around the joint.
	Tissue Collage – Layers of tissue paper are used to make a design. As the tissue is partially transparent, overlapping and layers can be used as part of the design.