How to Make a Paper Ship

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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

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Repeat. Fold the other corner in the same fashion, lining it up with the center line. [3] 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. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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] This makes a paper hat shape.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Do this at the point where the diagonal creases meet. Open the hat shape slightly. Hold the two edges at the diagonal creases. [6]
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Gently pull and flatten the hat. You should end up with a diamond-shaped piece of paper. [7]
  9. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Fold the bottom edge to line up with the other side. Make the same fold as with the previous step.
  11. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Pull it apart. Flatten it down, similar to Step 8. [8]
  12. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    Slowly pull apart. The bottom edge will flip up on its own. [9]
  13. 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.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Building Your Ship to Last

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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. 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] 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]
    • You can also use newspaper, but it will be slightly less durable, and easier to tear.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Ship
    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.
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  • Question
    Could I use cardboard for the boat?
    Community Answer
    Yes, as long as it is thin enough to fold.
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  • 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.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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  • 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.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Tips

      • Familiarity with the art of origami is helpful with this project.
        Thanks
        Helpful 13 Not Helpful 3
      • Don't try to add masts and sails to make it look like a proper ship. It will only make the ship unbalanced because of the weight
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        Helpful 13 Not Helpful 4
      • It is recommended that you use a rectangular sheet of paper rather than a square one for this application.
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • If you want your boat to hold up really well over time, make it out of aluminum foil. It won't fall apart in the water and you can reuse it.
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      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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        Helpful 61 Not Helpful 18
      • 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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        Helpful 54 Not Helpful 23
      • 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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      Things You'll Need

      • Copy paper, newspaper, or a different variety of paper. (Notebook size is excellent for a small boat).
      • crayons or markers( to decorate your vessel)

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7EUi3-PG8
      1. ↑ http://www.langorigami.com/paper/traditional_papers.php
      2. ↑ http://www.langorigami.com/paper/traditional_papers.php

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to make a paper ship, fold a piece of paper in half from top to bottom, then fold it again from side to side and unfold so you have a crease in the center. Fold the top right corner down towards the center, then flip the paper over and fold the other corner down on the other side. Fold each of the bottom edges of the paper up and outwards to make a paper hat shape, then open the hat and flatten it horizontally to create a diamond. Fold the bottom edge of the diamond upwards towards the top, then turn the paper over and repeat on the other side. Pull the paper apart again and smooth it out to create a boat shape. If you want to learn how to make your ship float in water better, keep reading the article!

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Summer Goldthorpe

        May 16, 2018

        "I wanted to go as Pennywise from IT, and I needed a paper boat but I couldn't make them. This really helped."
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