How to Make a Paper Ship

Last Updated: January 9, 2023 Tested

Paper ships are a toy that many a child has made since the creation of paper. They are easy to make and they can be "sailed" on any small body of water, such as a bath, a puddle, a pond or even a little stream. While not particularly durable, once you know how to make them they are easily replaceable!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making the Ship

1
Fold paper in half. Take a piece of rectangular paper and place it in front of you so the paper is in portrait format, with the longer edges to the side. Fold it in half lengthwise from top to bottom, so that the fold is at the "top" of the piece of paper.^{[1]
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2
Fold the paper in half and unfold. This time fold the paper side to side, rather than top to bottom as in the first fold, then unfold. The crease marks your center line. Now you're back to after Step 1, with the paper folded in half top to bottom, but with a crease down the middle. Keep all your folds as straight and clean as possible.

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3
Fold the top right corner down. Hold the top right corner and fold the tip down and towards the center. The top edge should line up with the center line.^{[2]
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4
Flip over. Repeat. Fold the other corner in the same fashion, lining it up with the center line.^{[3]
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Research source} This should create a "house" like shape with a "big" roof line and about an inch of paper below the triangle of the roof
5
Fold bottom edge up. Take one edge of the bottom rectangular strip of paper and fold upwards. Fold it as high up the “house” as it will go without folding the paper beneath it.^{[4]
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6
Flip over the paper. Repeat the last fold. Fold up the opposite rectangular strip along the bottom of the house. Make sure the two strips line up, keeping all the folds symmetrical.^{[5]
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Research source} This makes a paper hat shape.
7
Grasp the hat shape in the center. Do this at the point where the diagonal creases meet. Open the hat shape slightly. Hold the two edges at the diagonal creases.^{[6]
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8
Pull the edges outwards. Gently pull and flatten the hat. You should end up with a diamond-shaped piece of paper.^{[7]
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9
Fold the bottom edge up. Take the bottom corner of the diamond and fold upwards toward the top. Leave about a 1/4 of an inch (0.65 cm) border between the top edge and the edge of portion that has been folded-up. Once done, flip the paper over.
10
Repeat. Fold the bottom edge to line up with the other side. Make the same fold as with the previous step.
11
Hold the paper ship in the middle of the bottom edge. Pull it apart. Flatten it down, similar to Step 8.^{[8]
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12
Hold the left and right triangular portions. Slowly pull apart. The bottom edge will flip up on its own.^{[9]
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13
Look at your creation. Your paper ship is now complete! It’s ready to take out for a sail on the storm-tossed seas- O.K., maybe just the backyard kiddie pool.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Building Your Ship to Last

1
Fortify your boat. There are a variety of ways to make your paper ship last longer. Applying strips of tape to the bottom, all around, is a good way to increase the ship’s water resistance.
- Make two ships and put one inside the other. This will increase the water resistance as well as the overall sturdiness.
- Color the ship with crayons. The wax will help the paper resist water.
- Instead of tape, coating the bottom with plastic film wrap will provide a good barrier to the water.
- If you plan to re-use it, let the ship dry out after use. Then wrap it in plastic to protect it.
2
Use the right paper. Using lightweight paper, such as a simple sheet of rectangular computer printer paper, is best. You can use a heavier material such as construction paper, but it will be more difficult to make clean, crisp folds.
- Remember, this is essentially an origami technique. Origami traditionally uses light but durable paper. ^{[10]
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  Research source} Printer, or copy, paper is a happy medium for a relatively simple fold such as a paper ship.
- You can also buy origami paper, or kami which is a product developed in Japan in the early twentieth century. It is often decorated and can be found in art supply stores. It is a bit lighter, but is fairly similar in weight to copy paper. ^{[11]
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- You can also use newspaper, but it will be slightly less durable, and easier to tear.
3
Increase the flotation. Widen the bottom by pulling out the diagonal edges. Making the bottom flatter will help the ship stay afloat longer. This will also widen the surface area of the bottom for more stability.
4
Make the boat more stable in the water. Using two ships, one inside the other, help the ship have more buoyancy, as well as helping the paper be more resistant to water. Try placing small pebbles around the edge of the triangular middle part of the ship. The pebbles will act as ballast and help the ship keep upright. You can also adjust the weight placement of the pebbles to make the ship move in a straight line.

Community Q&A

Question

Could I use cardboard for the boat?

Community Answer

Yes, as long as it is thin enough to fold.
Question

Is there another way to build a paper boat?

Community Answer

Of course. There are lots of ways. You can search how to make paper boats on the internet and it should come up with many different results.
Question

Can I put it on the water?

Community Answer

Of course. It is made of paper, so it will not last forever, but it is designed to float on water for at least a short period of time.

Warnings

Do not litter. If you play with paper ships in running outdoor water, collect your ships back after playing with them.

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Be careful when playing near water. Do not play with your ships in deep water, fast-running water or dirty water.

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Don't play near fast moving rivers. If you fall in you can be easily be swept away by the current.

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