This is a tutorial on the creative process when it comes to making a scene box, building or room out of paper and cardstock. I take you through the steps I follow when building something this way.

Before we look at the creative process let's take a look at what we make. These steps and this process can be applied to any kind of thing you want to make in this general area.

I have two examples for you. They are a blacksmith shop and a wine cellar.

Here is the blacksmith shop.

And here is the wine cellar

And they both sit on a standard sheet of printer paper, or cardstock that is 8 1/2" x 11".

So, you can see the basic concept is to make some kind of a space, or a room that fits on a single sheet of paper. Of course you can make your project any size you want. But for this tutorial I will stick to this size for easy understanding.

And, look how much fun a project like this can be:

Let's Do it!

Making a paper project breakdown and steps in the process:

1. Come up with the idea
2. Do research and create a list of objects that will be in your project and also the general shape of it.
3. Do some drawings of the floor plan
4. Choose individual objects and draw them out, try paper mockups without color
5. Transform the paper mockup into a foldable shape
6. Test it all by making a complete one with plain papers/card stock
7. Colorize it.
8. Put things together and finish it.

In addition: If you would like to share it as a project for other people or even develop it into a product you can sell:

1. Scan the parts
2. Create an assembly procedure
3. Package it up for consumer use

These projects fit on a standard size sheet of paper (8 1/2 x 11 inches). But there is a difference. With these projects we don't use standard printer paper. We use 110 pound paper. It is like card stock. But it is not unusual. You can easily buy it on Amazon or you can even walk into Walmart and purchase some. They keep it right next to the regular printer paper. And it will fit in your desktop printer just like regular printer paper. It's just a bit thicker and more durable.

Wausau Exact 110, Index Cardstock, 250 Count, Ivory, 8.5 X 11 Inches

So, How do you make a project like this?

Step 1: It starts with an idea. What kind of room or space would you like to make? I had a pretty clear image for my projects. Let's take the blacksmith shop as an example. I researched blacksmith shops on google to see what they look like and what kind of things they have in them. From there I generated a list of what would be in my blacksmith shop. And this changes as the project develops. Have fun with it. Your project can be anything at all that you want.

My list for the blacksmith shop.

Step 2: Create a floor plan. This will just be a guide. As you make the paper parts things will change. But this will be very helpful.

Step 3: Start folding and adding pieces. You can start with easy shapes.

Part of this step is experimentation. Tinker with paper and cut it out in shapes simulating the various parts of your project. Here I have created a flat version of the beams. The beams will eventually be three-dimensional. I have a tutorial on the beams right here.

Draw them out also.

And an easy way to start is by simply putting together the pieces to make an object. You can figure out how to fold it later in the process.

Let's follow through the process of making one simple piece - the wooden stump that the anvil sits on. This will give you a good sense for the process of making a paper object.

We need to make a wooden stump. So we break it down into simpler shapes and surfaces. Just two surfaces, around the stump and the flat top.

Curl and glue that long strip and we have the stump shape.

The circle goes right on top.

So, how can we make this better? We could stay with a rectangle and a circle then glue them together. Or we can combine the two into a single piece like this next image shows. And we put some tabs on it so it can glue into the bottom piece.

So now we can roll the rectangle into a cylinder.

And then fold down then glue that top circle.

We got it just the way we want it. You might have to make a few of them to get the sizes and the fits just right. But, now, with the right size we draw another one.

And this time we color it.

We fold that up and glue it in place. Easy enough. We now have our stump completed.

But Wait..... Do you want a little more? Maybe take a look at a piece that is a bit more complex? Let's look at how the beam system was made for this project. Continue

Wausau Exact 110, Index Cardstock, 250 Count, Ivory, 8.5 X 11 Inches

The Paper Wine Cellar

This project is availabe to my Patrons as a thankyou for supporting me. It is completely designed by me. Patrons can download it, print it, and put it together. Learn more about this wine cellar how to become a patron right here ( Note that you can also purchase it if you prefer; through paypal or etsy.)

The Paper Blacksmith Shop

This project is availabe to my Patrons as a thankyou for supporting me. It is completely designed by me. Patrons can download it, print it, and put it together. Learn more about this wine cellar how to become a patron here how to become my Patron right here ( Note that you can also purchase it if you prefer; through paypal or etsy.)

Make a Rapunzel Paper Diorama (Tatebanko)

Here is an easy scene from the Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel that you can make. I give you everything in the template. You print it up and put it together. Make a Rapunzel Paper Diorama