All the materials needed for simple paper crafts can be found in most households. You need paints to colour the paper (watercolour, felt-tip pens, tempera paints or wax crayons), scissors, white glue and, of course, craft paper. For lots of creativity, use as many different colours and different thicknesses of paper as possible. Everything from drawing paper to advertising brochures can be used for crafting.

Framed art pictures
Short strips of paper or colourful scraps of paper can be glued into a picture frame in a pretty pattern. A little gold or silver spray can give the picture a special lustre. Dried leaves or flowers of different colours also make an interesting work of art. You can create interesting collages using scraps of paper of different colours.

Book covers
Fold an appropriately sized sheet of paper in half and fold the ends over so that they can be placed around the book. The self-made book cover can be painted or covered with colourful paper.

papier-mâché
Papier-mâché can be made from newspaper and magazine paper. The paper is dipped in wallpaper paste or a mixture of water and flour and glued to balloons, fruit or other objects to make certain shapes. A simple box can be covered with papier-mâché and painted or sculpted by hand. Bowls and pots can be used as moulds.

Calendars and greeting cards
Different thicknesses of paper can be used for calendars or greetings cards. The cardboard of a cereal box makes a good base. Both sides can be decorated with paper and embellished with photos. Calendar pages can be printed out on the computer and glued onto the decorated base.