Cardboard automata: make a small scene move
Build a hand-cranked cardboard scene by matching one simple movement to a small narrative, then keep the mechanism exposed until its motion works reliably.
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Objects & making.
Think with your hands, materials, and prototypes.
18 practical guides
Paper cam mechanisms: shape the rhythm of a crank
Explore how a cam's shape changes a repeated movement, using interchangeable cardboard profiles and a lightweight follower to compare smooth lifts, pauses, and abrupt changes.
Cardboard linkages for expressive movement
Connect rigid card strips with simple pivots to make a controlled gesture, then adjust joint spacing and movement limits before attaching a lightweight sculptural form.
Pull-tab cards that reveal a tiny story
Design a sliding paper reveal with a clear grip, enough clearance, and a stopping point, turning a single motion into a small sequential scene.
Pop-up paper engineering with one folded platform
Build a simple rising paper platform, checking its folds and clearances in a plain prototype before using it as the support for a small sculptural scene.
Make a paper mobile that balances and moves
Construct a lightweight hanging sculpture by balancing small assemblies, testing suspension points and movement clearance before building a larger system of connected parts.
Kinetic sculpture from a hand-powered paper strip
Create a moving sculpture from repeated paper elements, using a slow hand gesture to explore how a simple mechanism produces a larger wave or unfolding form.
Layered paper light boxes with a restrained glow
Build a small layered scene around a cool ready-made light source, using spacing and material tests to control silhouettes, translucency, and the visibility of construction.
Shadow puppets with joints that serve the story
Design a simple articulated silhouette for projection, testing the cutout at its working distance and placing joints where they improve the character's most important gesture.
Modular paper sculpture: repeat a unit with room to vary
Develop a small folded module and combine it into a larger sculpture, checking fit and assembly order before expanding the system or introducing decorative variation.
Soft sculpture from a simple stuffed shape
Make an expressive fabric object from a small pattern, using seam placement, stuffing distribution, and a restrained silhouette to establish its character before adding details.
Cardboard sculpture with slots instead of a heavy armature
Build a small sculptural form from interlocking card profiles, adjusting slot fit and grain direction before applying surface detail or extending the structure.
Found-object assemblage with a clear visual relationship
Combine clean everyday objects into a small sculptural arrangement, choosing a shared formal relationship and reversible connections before committing to a final assembly.
Paper joints: choose a hinge, slot, or removable tie
Compare simple connections for small art objects, selecting a joint according to whether the parts need to rotate, stay rigid, or come apart for revision.
Make a scale maquette for an art installation
Build a small spatial model that tests how an artwork occupies a room, using consistent scale and simple human figures to inspect approach, sightlines, and spacing.
Material experiments for a paper art project
Choose paper through small behavior tests rather than appearance alone, comparing folding, bending, translucency, and joining with the same simple samples.
Accordion artist books as small unfolding sculptures
Make a folded book that changes through opening, choosing a sequence and support method that let the object work as both a handheld narrative and a standing form.
Sew a light-up art badge with a removable circuit
Plan a small wearable artwork around a sewable low-voltage light module, keeping conductive paths separated and the electrical assembly removable for inspection and care.