Ready to kick off some fun? Learn how to make a paper football using just a bit of folding magic. You’ll have your own miniature football ready to flick through goalposts in no time — no field required!
Perfect for rainy days, classroom breaks, or halftime entertainment, this quick and easy craft will score major points with kids and adults alike. Whether you’re hosting a game day party or just passing time, this simple project is sure to be a touchdown!
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How to Make a Paper Football
Materials:
- Brown construction paper
- White paint pen (or gel pen)
- Paper cup (small)
- Paper straws
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Fold the paper football
- Cut a piece of brown construction paper in half crosswise to make a piece of paper that’s 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide.
- Fold the paper in half lengthwise.
- Now fold the bottom edge up so it meets the left side.
- Fold the paper up along the last fold, bringing the bottom point up so the left sides are touching.
- Now fold the bottom edge up and over to the right.
- Fold the left edge down to meet the previous fold. The paper should now be in a triangle shape with the point on the left.
- Fold the triangle in half, bringing the top point down to meet the bottom.
- Open the last fold. Pinch the sides in on the bottom to open a little pocket.
- Fold the top part back down, pushing it into the pocket. Smooth the fold line at the top.
- Optional: Draw stitch lines on both sides of the paper along the straight edge of the football using a white paint marker.
Step 3: Make the goal post
- Add hot glue to one end of a straw.
- Place the middle of another straw into the glue to form a “T” shape. Hold the straws together until the glue dries.
- Cut another straw in half.
- Glue the end of each straw half to the top of the “T” shape, one on each end.
- Poke a hole in the bottom of the paper cup using scissors. If young kids are making this craft, have an adult poke the hole in the cup.
- Insert the bottom of the “T” shape into the bottom of the cup.
- Add hot glue around the straw where it meets the cup to hold it in place.
- Your paper football game is complete!
- Now line up your shot…
- …and flick the football through the uprights on the goal post!
Helpful Tips:
- We all know kids can sometimes inch closer to the goal post to have a better chance of scoring. If you’re finding this happening, try using green construction paper or poster board and a white paint pen to create a small field with yard lines. This will help everyone flick the football from the same position.
- Always supervise kids with this game. The points of the paper football are hard enough to potentially cause injury to a person’s or pet’s eye. Be sure there are no people or pets near where the paper football will be flicked.
How can I make a paper football without construction paper?
Any kind of paper you have at home should work to make a paper football game – gift wrap, craft paper, or regular printer paper. You can even use cardstock, but it will be more difficult to fold because it’s thicker.
What other materials can I use to make the goalposts for my paper football game?
There are lots of common household materials that can be used to make the goalposts for this paper football game. Here are some ideas:
- Use craft sticks, dowels, or wooden skewers instead of the straws
- Cut the goalposts, the base, or both from a cardboard box
- Cut a goal-sized hole in a box instead of having goalposts
- Create a goal using Lego blocks
How do I “kick” the paper football?
Hold the paper football upright on one end point using one finger. The longest edge of the football will be vertical and facing you. The opposite point will be facing where you plan to “kick” the football.
Use your other hand to flick the ball at the longest edge, then watch it fly! It may take a few tries to get a feel for aiming and flicking the paper football through the goalposts.
Learning how to make a paper football is a boredom-busting game changer! With just a few simple folds, you’ll have a quick and easy way to tackle down time. Perfect for friendly competitions or quick desk-side breaks, this classic DIY is ready to score big laughs!
Here’s even more DIY toy ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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