Making a paper sailor hat is a classic kids' project that's fun and easy to make. It's a great way to introduce kids to the art of paper folding and making a craft from recycled materials. For a more decorative paper sailor hat, you can use sheets of gift wrap. Many pound shops sell inexpensive gift wrap in a variety of colours and patterns.

  • Making a paper sailor hat is a classic kids' project that's fun and easy to make.
  • For a more decorative paper sailor hat, you can use sheets of gift wrap.

Select a half-sheet of newspaper, or cut packing paper or gift wrap to newspaper size -- about 30 cm (12 inches) wide by 55 cm (22 inches) tall. When using newspaper, the comics page can be especially fun for kids.

Place the paper on a table or flat surface with the narrow edge pointed toward you. If you're using gift wrap or paper that is printed only on one side, place the paper on the table with the blank side facing up.

Fold the paper in half from top to bottom. Crease the paper well.

Fold the paper in half from side to side, crease it, then unfold it. This leaves a crease line in the centre of the paper.

Fold the upper corners of the paper down to meet the crease line in the middle. The paper should now look like a triangle.

  • Fold the paper in half from top to bottom.
  • Fold the upper corners of the paper down to meet the crease line in the middle.

Fold the bottom edge of the top layer of paper up about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches), then flip the sailor hat and fold the bottom edge of the back side up about the same amount. This makes the brim of the hat.

Grasp the front of the bottom of the hat in one hand and the back of the hat in the other, and pull them gently away from each other to fluff out the hat and make it three-dimensional.

TIP

You can also use smaller paper, such as standard letter-sized paper, to make a paper sailor hat for a small child or doll. For an adult-sized paper sailor hat, you may need a larger piece of newspaper.

Once the kids have completed folding the paper sailor hat, they can decorate it with markers or crayons if they wish.