I’ve been wanting to try a paper cut-out mobile and ended up making this owl. It was an interesting design challenge, trying to make it look good no matter how the pieces spun, and the mobility gives the owl a lot of character. I think I’ll put it in the kid’s room. I only used...Continue Reading
La Petite Magazine released their new online issue today that features some paper dollhouses I made. I had a lot of fun designing different houses and little pieces of furniture. Then I put them all in a mint tin so they can be played with on the go. If you want to try it out,...Continue Reading
While we were drawing today, I decided to make one of those match games where you draw a line to match the silhouettes to the correct figure. The kids really enjoyed the idea of a drawing game. It took a little concentration too, and they were very proud when they finished. Tess wanted to do...Continue Reading
When the twins were one month old I made them a mobile like this and hung it over their crib. Looking at it was my daughter’s favorite activity for almost 6 months. The contrasting black and white shapes are perfect for infants’ undeveloped vision. It’s also very simple to make, using only cardboard, paper and...Continue Reading
I just designed some coloring sheets for a cool little restaurant, Blackfish Cafe, at the beach in Lincoln City. So here are some more fish! If you want to try them out, click on the images below. After coloring, you could even cut them out and use them in your Box Aquarium. Click on the images...Continue Reading
I really like using boxes we get in the mail for other things before recycling them, so I made this small aquarium toy. Instead of taping the fish to the top of the box, I decided to make it more interactive by cutting slits in the top and tying buttons to the threads. This way...Continue Reading
Yet another request for an addition to the Paper City. A helicopter! And what a great idea, too. I poked a hole and strung some thread through the top to fly it around with. Then I made a landing pad, so you can fly on missions and then return for a smooth landing on the...Continue Reading
I’ve had a lot of requests (including from my son) for some cars and trucks for the paper city. So here they are! There’s a template below if you want to try them out. Just cut on the black outlines and fold. Cool! Template: Click on the image below, then print.Continue Reading
We went to the beach last weekend, and I picked up a bunch of smooth flat rocks with the idea of painting them. Then I thought it would be interesting to come up with a way of using the rocks in a game. The kids have been starting to show interest in recognizing letters in...Continue Reading
As a child, one of my favorite memories at my Grandma’s house was when all of the cousins would get together and she would rip off big sheets of butcher paper, fold them in half, and with ease and grace, she would cut out these fantastic cowboys for us to color. I recently found a...Continue Reading
I was drawing these little people on the train to Seattle last Saturday (to see the Alexander Calder Exhibit), and thought it would be amusing to turn them into little paper dolls. So I sketched some buildings for them and made a happy little paper city. Yes, you can join in on the fun. There...Continue Reading
While reading the December issue of Art Forum Magazine, I came across a brilliant Damián Ortega sculpture made of tortillas. Of course I immediately wished I could play with them. So I scanned some recent collage circles I’d made, printed them out, and made these building discs. It’s surprisingly tricky to build with them, but...Continue Reading
Today I made a little cowboy scene out of paper. Similar to the paper animals I made before. These are made from painted paper that I use for my collages, but any paper will do. I also used a black and silver pen to draw on them. I like toys like these because they flatten and...Continue Reading
