Folded Paper Houses

We were in need of a rainy day activity this afternoon, so we spent some time folding, and gluing up a paper village for our Little People. It's an old time craft (you know, from when we were kids), that only requires a few sheets of typing paper, glue, scissors, and maybe a few markers, or crayons, for adding decorative details.

To make a house, start by folding a piece of typing paper in half, so the two long sides are touching.

Fold it in half again.

Then fold it in half, so that the two shorts sides are touching, and fold it in half that way again.

When you unfold the paper, it will be divided into sixteen squares.

Cut from the two opposite sides, along the three horizontal lines, until you come to the first vertical lines. If you cut in from the long sides, you will end up making a two story cottage. If you cut in from the short sides, you will make a long, narrow, single story house.

After you have finished cutting, recrease the sides so that both edges fold inward.

Then, glue the number 2 squares (see the picture above), over the number three squares, to form the peak of the roof.

Bring the number 1 squares together, with the number 4 squares, on each end of the house, over the 2, and 3 squares, so they make a straight line at the bottom.

Cut windows, and doors.

If you like, fold a rectangular prism, squish it flat, and cut out a gentle triangle, matching the slant of the roof, for a chimney.

Or, turn it into a church steeple.

The long houses would make good ranch style homes, if the door were placed on one of the long sides. Or, placed on the end, they make good churches, schools, or stores.

The sun came out, before we had a chance to decorate the houses, but the Little People moved in anyway.

It's great to be a homeschooler.