Five crafts with paper and scraps

Old magazines, junk mail, and the inside of a cereal box give you plenty to work with. A limited palette does half the work.

1. Make a three-color postcard

Materials An index card, magazine pages, and a glue stick. Time 10-15 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Tear out three colors you like together. Put the biggest piece down first, overlap it with a second shape, then add one small piece somewhere off-center. Move everything around before you glue. Stop when three shapes feel like one picture.

If you want a subject, try the view from a favorite window. The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum has a torn-paper collage exercise based on a familiar place.

2. Fold an accordion book about one tiny thing

Materials A strip of paper torn from a letter-size sheet, a pen, and optional paper scraps. Time 10-20 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Fold the strip in half. Fold each loose end back toward the center crease so the strip opens into four panels. Give each panel one detail about a tiny subject, like the four best things about a corner store. One word or image per panel is enough.

3. Make a collage out of everyday packaging

Materials Clean paper packaging, a card base, and a glue stick. Time 15-25 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Tear a strip from a paper bag and use it to make a horizon across the card. Build above and below it with little pieces of color, printed letters, or bits of pattern from other packaging. Try turning any recognizable words sideways so you can see them as shapes. Stop after you’ve built one small scene.

4. Weave a two-color paper bookmark

Materials A card strip with parallel slots prepared in advance, contrasting paper strips, and tape. Time 15-20 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Thread the first strip over and under the bands between the slots. Start the next strip the opposite way, then repeat until the bookmark has a patch of checkerboard. Tape the ends flat to the back. A few rows will give you a finished bookmark even if the pattern stops halfway down.

5. Fold a pocket for ticket stubs and little notes

Materials A sheet of paper and tape. Time 5-10 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Put the paper in portrait orientation and fold the bottom third up. Tape the two side edges of that flap to form a pocket. Fold the top third down as a cover. Write a place or date on the front and give the pocket one thing to hold.

If all you have is a pen, try one of our drawing prompts for beginners.

Five projects with clay, yarn, and texture

These are for nights when you want something to do with your hands. Pick one material and give it a simple job.

6. Shape an air-dry clay pinch dish

Materials Air-dry clay and a washable work mat. Time 15-25 minutes, plus drying. Mess Moderate.

First move. Roll a small ball of clay and press your thumb into the center without going through the base. Turn the clay slowly as you pinch the walls into a shallow bowl. Aim for roughly even walls and leave the little thumb marks you like. Use the finished dish for dry items like rings or spare buttons.

The Peabody Essex Museum has a clay pinch-pot tutorial if you’d like to see the hand motion.

7. Press a texture into a clay tile

Materials Air-dry clay, a washable mat, and a clean piece of textured fabric or a rubber stamp. Time 10-15 minutes, plus drying. Mess Moderate.

First move. Flatten a piece of clay with your palm. Press in a clean scrap of denim, lace, or canvas, then peel it away from one corner. Try a second texture on the other half. Set it aside to dry when the two marks look good together.

8. Wrap a cardboard initial in yarn

Materials A simple cardboard initial prepared in advance, yarn, and tape. Time 15-25 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Tape the yarn tail to the back of the cardboard. Wrap one straight section of the letter until the cardboard disappears, then switch colors or keep going. Tuck the final tail under a few wraps and tape it at the back. A single band of color can be the whole design.

9. Stamp a repeat pattern from a household object

Materials A clean cork or a piece of corrugated cardboard, washable water-based paint, a scrap sheet, and heavier paper. Time 15-20 minutes, plus drying. Mess Moderate.

First move. Dab the cork into a little paint and test it on the scrap sheet. Stamp three marks across your good paper. Rotate or shift the next row to see what the space between the marks does. Stop at a small pattern you’d want to use as a note card.

10. Make a fabric swatch card

Materials Three clean fabric offcuts, cardstock, and double-sided tape. Time 10-15 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Pick two scraps with a similar color and one that feels completely different. Place them side by side and move the odd one to the middle. Tape the backs down and write one word for the combination. A piece of worn denim next to something shiny can be the whole idea.

Five crafts to make with friends

A good shared project gives everyone their own bit of table space and something to show at the end. All five work with two people.

11. Trade half-finished collages

Materials One card per person, tearable paper scraps, and glue sticks. Time 15-20 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Glue down one large shape and one small one, then pass your card to the left. Add one piece to the card you receive and pass it again. When the cards come home, have the original makers give them titles.

12. Make a scrapbook spread for an ordinary evening

Materials Two pieces of paper, photocopies or little paper keepsakes, tape, and a pen. Time 20-30 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Each person chooses one detail from the evening to put on the page. A snack label, a photo of the table, or a line someone said will do. Put the two pages beside each other and add the date. If you like the keepsake idea, try one of these creative date ideas for staying in another night.

13. Assemble a paper patchwork

Materials Equal-size paper squares prepared in advance, scraps, glue sticks, and a backing sheet. Time 20-25 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Agree on one color every square should include. Give each person a square to fill, then lay the pieces in a grid and rotate them until something clicks. Glue them onto the backing or take a photo of the arrangement and let everyone keep their square.

14. Build a tiny room on a folded card

Materials Cardstock, paper scraps, tape, and lightweight objects like a cork or an empty matchbox. Time 15-25 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Fold the card so one half is a floor and the other is a wall. Prop the wall upright against a book. One person makes a paper rug while the other finds something to use as furniture. Add one wildly out-of-scale detail, then give your room a name.

15. Make a garland out of small memories

Materials Small paper rectangles, string, a pen, and tape. Time 15-25 minutes. Mess Low.

First move. Write one tiny memory on a piece of paper. Fold its top edge over the string and tape the flap to the back. Let everyone add one or two flags. Leave a little string at both ends so you can pin it up later.

Frequently asked questions

What are the easiest crafts to do while high?

Start with a torn-paper postcard, a folded paper pocket, or a four-panel accordion book. Each can be made with ordinary materials and has a clear place to stop. The postcard is the best pick if you only want to make a few decisions about color and shape.

What can I make without buying craft supplies?

Fold an accordion book from printer paper, or make a pocket from an old envelope or a sheet of junk mail. If you have tape and a clean cereal box, you can build a collage on the unprinted side of the box.

What’s a good craft to do with a friend?

Try the collage swap if you want something funny to reveal, or make a scrapbook spread if you want something to keep. For a bigger table, the paper patchwork gives everyone an individual piece and a shared design to arrange at the end.

How long does air-dry clay take to dry?

Follow the directions for your clay. For example, Crayola says its air-dry clay generally takes 72 hours to dry completely, and conditions and piece size can change the timing. Leave the dish or tile out to dry as directed. Use these pieces as indoor decorations or for dry objects. Sealing Crayola Air-Dry Clay leaves it susceptible to water.

What if I have only ten minutes?

Fold a pocket and give it one thing to hold. Or lay three scraps on a card and try two arrangements. You can leave the pieces loose and decide which version you like tomorrow.