Easy Printable Pirate Ship Playset

The old family.disney.com website (later known as "Spoonful") had lots of great papercraft projects parents could do with children. But alas, the Spoonful website shut down in 2014. One of the Spoonful projects I liked, was this easy printable pirate ship. The playset included a 3D ship, cannons, and some 2D pirate figures (including a few skeleton crew members!) An archived copy of the playset's PDF template (along with instructions) may be found at this: download link. Besides paper, what else is required to build this ship are some drinking straws to hold the sails to the masts.

Other Spoonful Paper Projects:

Princess Paper Dolls
18" Jack Skellington Figure
3D Nemo Papercraft
Wonderland Easter Diorama
Teardrop Mickey

Dune Papercraft: House Atreides Ornithopter

For those of you who enjoy building complicated papercraft, give this Dune paper model a try. It is a scale model of the House Atreides Royal ornithopter as seen in the newest Dune movies. The adjustable wings on this model are what makes it interesting to build. The PDF template for the ornithopter may be downloaded at MediaFire. Czech paper model designer, Rawen, created this papercraft in 2024.

Other Dune Papercraft:

1984 Dune Movie Papercraft Collection

Spice Harvester

Mini Papercraft Dungeon RPG Game

About 13 years ago, Jim Bowen created a free miniature dungeon crawler type board game that uses paper models and a modular dungeon system. The game is called "Mini Dungeon Adventures."  I don't know how far Jim pursued his development of the game, but there is still an early edition of the game PDF located here: Internet Archive. The PDF includes both the rules, as well as printable dungeon tiles, props, characters, and item tokens. Here is a taste of what Jim has to say about the game play:

"The 1 player game has the player using two hero characters and the dungeon has pre-determined behavioral patterns for the enemies. 2-5 players have one player take on the role of the dungeon master. You generate your character from one of four races and four classes, then give them some starting equipment and send them off into the dungeon. Each time a room is explored, you roll on the monster generator chart, which shows how many and what kind of monsters there are as well as if there are any treasure chests or not."

It should be noted that dice are required to play the game. Happy gaming!

Super Armor Baymax Papercraft

Baymax is an inflatable robot featured in the 2014 Disney 3D animated movie, Big Hero 6. The papercraft pictured shows Baymax in his red "Super Armor" which includes, among other things, thrusters and wings. This paper model was created by Cubee 2.0 Papercraft. The Pepakura PDO template for the model may be downloaded here: MediaFire. There are three separate PDO files in the download: one for the body and two more for the arms, legs, and wings. The finished model is about 15" (38 cm) tall.

Other Disney Papercraft:

Pixar Up House
Stitch
Moana Paper Toy
Detailed Bambi
Chibi Beauty and the Beast

Spanish Church Paper Model

The Santa Cristina de Lena church in northern Spain was completed in 852 AD. It's completion date places it in the Pre-Romanesque period. This excellent paper model of the church was created by Secanda in 2016. The free PDF template for the model may be downloaded from Secanda's website. The feature that sets this paper model apart from other models is that the roof may be removed to reveal the interior of the building. The scale of the finished model is 1:100.

Other Papercraft Churches from Around the World:

Yorkshire, England 
Naxos, Greece
Mellnsdorf, Germany
Czechoslovakia

Star Wars Papercraft: Commando Droid

For several years, one the best places to find free Stars Wars papercraft was the Noturno Sukhoi papercraft blog. Sadly, nothing has been released on the blog since 2016. Fear not! Much of their Star Wars papercraft is still available for download. The template for this commando droid paper model may be downloaded on MediaFire. The download includes both PDF and Pepakura PDO format templates. Commando droids first appeared on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television show in 2008.

Other Star Wars Papercraft:

Darth Maul Lightsaber
Captain Phasma 2.5D Sculpture
Snowspeeder
BB-9E Droid
Han Solo Figure

Maple Story Bow and Arrow Papercraft

Around 2008, there were a lot of 3D papercrafts of characters and items from the 2D Korean video game, MapleStory. Seventeen years later, these paper models are tough to find. This MapleStory bow and arrow known as the "Vaulter 2000" is one of those hard-to-find models. The PDF template for this model is still available and may be downloaded from MediaFire. There are no instructions, other than a series of photos which are included in the download. The finished model is small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand. 

Previous MapleStory Papercraft:

Mixed Golem
Mushmom House

Gatchaman Papercraft: Ken the Eagle

In the days of my youth, I remember watching G-Force: Guardians of Space.  The show was a American television version of the Japanese anime, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. The five members of the Gatchaman team wear costumes that represent different types of birds: Ken the Eagle, Joe the Condor, Jun the Swan, Jinpei the Swallow, and Ryu the Owl. The papercraft pictured above is of Ken the Eagle. The template for this papercraft was created by Caio Paper Models in 2013 and may be downloaded from MediaFire. The download includes both PDF and Pepakura PDO templates. There are also two different size templates: 35cm tall and 50cm tall.

Other Anime Papercraft:

Chibi Fullmetal Alchemist Toys
Life Size DBZ Vegeta
King-size Totoro
Speed Racer Mach 5
Chibi Naruto

Jar Jar Binks Pizza Paper Toy

I got motived this Memorial Day weekend and finished another pizza paper toy. This time it is a Jar Jar Binks pizza. This pizza ties in with pizza number two in the series: the Darth Maul pizza. Both were part of a series of nine Star Wars: Episode I boxes released by Pizza Hut in 1999. The toppings this time are pepperoni and green pepper.  The template info is as follows:

Template Info
Scale: 1:4
Finished Size: 4"(10 cm) x 4"(10 cm) x 1/2"(1.3 cm)
Number of sheets: 2
Number of parts: 3
Difficulty: 1/5
Download: Here

This pizza is the ninth in my pizza paper toy series. Links to the other eight pizzas are listed below. 

McDonald's (Supreme)
Darth Maul (Pepperoni)
Domino's (Green Pepper and Black Olive)
Disney World (Cheese)
Futurama (Barbecue Chicken and Onion)
Pie Five (Ham and Jalapeno)
Giordano's Grateful Dead (Deep Dish)
Five Nights at Freddy's (Seafood)

2015 Nissan Frontier Papercraft

This 2015 Nissan Frontier pickup truck papercraft was created by Elvis Massa at F1 Papercraft. The template for the truck comes in PDF format. In addition, there are fourteen Pepakura PDO files that serve as "instructions" for each of the major parts of the model. An RAR file containing the PDF and the PDOs may be downloaded at MediaFire. From 1997 to 2021, the name for the Frontier outside of North America was the "Navara."

Other Papercraft Trucks:

1:24 Tesla Cybertruck
Dodge Power Wagon
Toyota Tundra
Chevy Silverado

RPG Crystal Papercraft

I'm always on the lookout for easy tabletop gaming props. This crystal is a good one! Officially this model is an "Elven Crystal," but it will work in different types of gaming scenarios, not just Fantasy. This model is part of the Lord Zsezse Works collection of Elven Papercraft which was part of a 2015 Kickstarter project. The template for the crystal is currently available as a "pay what you want" item on Drivethru RPG. The model includes both the crystal and the base. The PDF template is customizable with three different base materials and five different crystal colors. The finished model is 2.8" (7 cm) tall.

Other RPG Papercraft:

Medieval Hand Cart
Sci-fi Shuttle
Stargate Portal
Old Church
Treasure Chest with Gold

Plesiosaurus Papercraft

The plesiosaurus has always been in my "top ten list" of favorite dinosaurs. I think maybe the theory that the Loch Ness Monster could be a plesiosaur has something to do with that. :) The plesiosaurus was a large marine reptile that lived in the Early Jurassic period. This paper model of the dino created by Paper Lovers may be downloaded here. The printable template comes in both PDF and Pepakura PDO formats. The finished model is about 14" (35.5 cm) long.

Other Prehistoric Animals:
Trilobite
T-Rex Skeleton
Woolly Mammoth
Origami Dinosaurs
Triceratops Skull

Vintage Sonic & Shadow Papercraft

I enjoy digging up older papercraft so people can continue to enjoy them. A recent find was these Sonic the Hedgehog and Shadow the Hedgehog paper models. Here is what I was able to discover about these:

• These are official paper models released by Sega. 
• There is no release or copyright date on the templates. The earliest mention of these models I could find online was in 2006, so the models were created that year or earlier.
• The templates are numbered. The Sonic Template is number 1. The Shadow template is number 5, so there must be at least another 3 characters in the series. Let me know if you know who the other characters are and where I can find them!

The templates for these models are both saved at the Internet Archive and may be downloaded here and here. From comments online, people universally agree the heads of these paper models are complicated and require patience to build. You have been warned! :)

UPDATE 5/4/25: Since posting this, I have discovered more information! The series was released in 2003 and included six characters. See all the characters offered at this archived Sonic Team page.

Star Trek Tricorder Papercraft

Way back in 2012, I released a life sized Star Trek medical tricorder papercraft (see original blog post here). Recently, I came across a very similar tricorder model which I hadn't seen before. It was released by the MMORPG, Star Trek Online, around 2016. A copy of the single page JPG template for the model is still available on Reddit.

Comparing the two models, the advantage of the STO model is it is designed with interior supports which make the model stronger if used for cosplay. The advantage of my model is that it comes with a handheld scanner in addition to the tricorder.

Construction Machinery Papercraft

The Japanese company, Kobelco offer six different free construction machinery paper models on their website. Included in the collection are three types of excavators, a crane, a building demolition machine and a multi dismantling machine. While all the models are designed to be poseable, some are more poseable than others. The PDF templates and detailed instructions for the models may be downloaded from the Kobelco papercraft webpage.

Other Construction Equipment Papercraft:

Concrete Pump Truck

Origami Swords

I have been slacking on my origami posts! Here are some fun and simple origami swords, each made from a single square of paper. An excellent video showing how to fold one of these swords can be found on Pinterest. The finished length of the sword will be the same as the diagonal measurement of the square of paper that is used. The swords shown in the photo are around 6" (15 cm) long.

Other Origami Creations:

Pokeball Gift Box
Godzilla
Swallowtail Butterfly
Printable Totoro Origami
Easter Egg Holders

Mass Effect Papercraft: Commander Shepard

In the Mass Effect series of video games, the playable character is a soldier named "Commander Shepard." Shepard is customized by the player and may be either male or female. This fan art papercraft creation by Xenonray is of the default female version of Commander Shepard as she appears in Mass Effect 3. The PDF and Pepakura PDO templates for the model may be downloaded from Xenonray's DeviantART page. The download includes excellent photo instructions. This paper model is quite complex and is not recommended for beginners. The finished model is 17.4" (44.2 cm) tall.

Other Mass Effect Papercraft:

Normandy SR-1 Starship
ME3 Tali'Zorah
Kei-9 Robo Dog
N7 Eagle Heavy Pistol

Minecraft Papercraft: Diamond Pickaxe

In the Minecraft video game, pickaxes are used to mine rocks and ores. There are six different types of pickaxes: wooden, stone, iron, golden, diamond, and netherite. This life size papercraft pickaxe is of the diamond variety. This papercraft was offered by the now defunct FPSXGames website. A copy of the template for the pickaxe may be downloaded from the archived page located: HERE. The template consists of four .PNG image files which were sized to be printed on A4 size cardstock (however printing to Letter size paper using "scale to fit" should work just fine).

Other Minecraft Papercraft:

Enderman Statue
Mini Diorama
Printable Minecraft Chess

Star Trek Papercraft: USS Grissom

The science vessel starship USS Grissom appeared in the 1984 movie, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. This 1:760 scale paper model of the ship was created by Martin Sanger. A copy of the .BMP template for the ship may be downloaded from Sanger's website. Sanger has this to say about the starship:

The USS Grissom, NCC-638, was one of the most famous research spaceships of the Oberth class. These small Federation ships were designed to explore planets, nebulae and other natural phenomena...  The last mission of the USS Grissom was the exploration and research of the newly created planet Genesis. However, the ship was attacked by a Klingon Bird of Prey in orbit of the planet and completely destroyed.

Other Paper Models of Star Trek Starships: 

Easy Borg Cube
Romulan Warbird
Voyager
Klingon Bird of Prey
STtMP Enterprise

Van to the Future VW Bus Papercraft

Imagine the movie Back to the Future, only instead of a DeLorean, the time machine is a VW bus. That is the idea of this papercraft designed by Damon Butler. This model has a lot of fun nods to the original DeLorean, like gull-wing doors and a flux capacitor behind the seat. The PDF template for this model may be downloaded at Butler's website, nrwster.com.

Other Sci-Fi Papercraft Vehicles:

Ready Player One DeLorean
Mad Max Interceptor
Dune Spice Harvester
Star Wars X-34 Landspeeder
Lunar Rover from Moon

Flash Gordon War Rocket Papercraft

The best part of the 1980 movie Flash Gordon was the awesome soundtrack by the rock group Queen. Coming in close second are the retro spaceship and costume designs created for the movie. In homage to the movie, this papercraft "War Rocket Ajax" was created by designer, Rawen. The PDF template for the paper model is available on MediaFire. The finished rocket is something of a "micro model" in that it is only slightly larger than the palm of your hand.

Other Sci-Fi Papercraft:

Star Trek TMP Enterprise
Mini Star Destroyer
Battlestar Galactica Collection
Mandalorian Razor Crest
Reaverized Serenity

Miniature Papercraft Vintage Cereal Boxes

Here's some fun miniature papercraft cereal boxes to build! These boxes are of General Mills' "Monster Cereals". You may have seen Count Chocula and Franken Berry, as they are still on grocery store shelves today. But how about the less common cereals in the line like Boo Berry, Fruit Brute, and Yummy Mummy? PDF format paper model templates for all five monster cereals may be downloaded from Paper Empire.

Other Miniature Papercraft Boxes:

Mr. T Cereal
Brillo Soap Pads
Pizza Paper Toy Series

Maison Carrée Roman Temple Papercaft

This is a detailed 1:100 scale paper model of the famous Roman temple, known as the “Maison Carrée” (Square House in French). The temple was built in Nîmes, France at the beginning of the first century, during the reign of Emperor Augustus. The printable PDF template for this model is offered as a free download at the Secanda website. Written instructions, in both English and French, come with the template. Due to the complexity of the model, it is recommended only for experienced paper model builders.

Other Architecture Paper Models:

Skyscraper Collection
Mstěnice Castle
Guggenheim Museum
Abraham Lincoln Cabin
Arc de Triomphe

Balancing Monkey Paper Toy

I love when 3D papercraft can also be an actual toy! Case in point is this balancing monkey paper toy by Salazad. The official title of this toy is "Monyi the Acrobat Monkey". What makes this balancing act work is placing a penny in each of Monyi's fruit baskets. The PDF template for this papertoy may be downloaded at Salazad.com.

Other Fun Papercraft:

Russian Nesting Dolls
Rolling Ball Kinetic Sculpture
Minecraft Automata
Playful Circus Wagon
Cranky Automata Animals

Easy Miniature Schnauzer Papercraft

Here's an easy dog papercraft of a Miniature Schnauzer. The American Kennel Club, describes this breed of dog as:

"Created to be all-around farm dogs and ratters, they are tough, muscular, and fearless without being aggressive. The Miniature Schnauzer is a bright, friendly, trainable companion, small enough to adapt to apartment life but tireless enough to patrol acres of farmland. They get along well with other animals and kids. Minis are sturdy little guys and enjoy vigorous play. Home and family oriented, they make great watchdogs."

This papercraft may be downloaded on the Pinoart website. 

Other Papercraft Dogs:

Chibi Chihuahuas
Akita-inu
French Bulldog
Alaskan Malamute

Mario Kart 8 Papercraft

The popularity of Mario Kart video games has not diminished since the original game was introduced by Nintendo in 1992. This fan art paper model of Mario's Kart from MK8 was created by DeviantART member DUMDUMBOT. The Pepakura PDO template for the model may be downloaded from MediaFire. The finished model is large, measuring roughly 18" x 12" (46 cm x 30 cm). Sorry, there are no instructions for the model other than the PDO file. Mario Kart 8 introduced anti-gravity racing to the franchise.

Other Nintendo Papercraft:

Peach Castle
Breath of the Wild Link
Bowser
Star Fox Krystal
Donkey Kong