Free Printable Paper Crafts for Kids: 10 Cut-and-Build Pages (PDF)

How to make a build and play craft

Every page follows three steps, printed right on the page: 1 Cut, 2 Arrange, 3 Glue.

1. Print the page at 100% (Actual size) on US Letter or A4. Plain paper works, and cardstock makes sturdier crafts.
2. Cut around the pictures. The six pieces are at the bottom of the page. Cut around each colored shape rather than pasting the whole card. Use scissors with adult help for young children.
3. Arrange the pieces in the “My build space” box. Check the small build idea on the page, or build it your own way.
4. Glue them down, then add drawings, a name or a story around your creation.

The 10 crafts and their pieces

• Build a Rocket: rocket body, nose cone, round window, fins, engine flames and magic stars.
• Make a Monster: body, funny eyes, happy mouth, two horns, wiggly arms and spotty dots.
• Build a Robot: head, body, arms, feet, antenna and control buttons.
• Make a Butterfly: body, left and right wings, antennae, wing spots and a pretty flower.
• Build a Dinosaur: body, head, long tail, strong legs, back spikes and a dino egg.
• Build a House: walls, triangle roof, front door, two windows, chimney and a garden tree.
• Build a Train: engine, passenger car, cabin roof, wheels, smoke stack and railroad track.
• Make a Fish: body, tail, top fin, little eye, ocean bubbles and sea coral.
• Make a Burger: top bun, fresh lettuce, cheese slice, tomato slices, burger patty and bottom bun.
• Dress Up a Bear: teddy bear, striped shirt, blue shorts, party hat, little shoes and bow tie.

What children practice

• Scissor skills: cutting around curved and angled shapes.
• Planning and sequencing: deciding where each piece goes before gluing.
• Fine motor control: holding paper, spreading glue and placing small pieces.
• Vocabulary and storytelling: naming the parts and making up a story about the finished craft.
• Creativity: arranging pieces in a way that is theirs.

For more cutting practice, try our scissor skills worksheets.

Tips and ideas

• Use a glue stick for the neatest results, and put a scrap sheet under the page.
• Let younger children tear or cut roughly around the pieces, then trim closer as their skills grow.
• Add details with crayons or markers: a rocket trail, a house garden, a monster name.
• Mount the finished craft on colored paper to make a display or a card.
• Always use scissors with adult supervision.

Credits and licences

Many of the pictures and icons in this set use Noto Emoji artwork by Google. The Noto emoji fonts are licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, and most of the emoji images are licensed under the Apache License 2.0. The page layouts, text and KidsTracing logo are our own. These printables are free for personal, home and classroom use, and not for sale or resale.