Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

Palada.

PAPER TOYS.

A very considerable number of toys may be constructed out of paper alone, and much amusement may be obtained in the making of such toys, as well as from the uses to which they can be put when made. The Magic Fan and kindred objects have been explained under that heading, and the following are a few other objects that, with a little practice, it will be found very easy for any one to make at pleasure.

Paper Bellows.—The first in the alphabetical list of paper toys is that known as paper bellows, and a very good imitation of a pair of bellows it will be found to be.

Paper Bellows.

Get a piece of paper of the substance of an ordinary sheet of note-paper, cut it into a square each side of which is at least twelve inches long, and fold it double, by making two of the corners meet with the middle line stretching between the other two corners. Open the paper out and fold it again, by making the other two corners meet, and upon it being again opened out, the folds will be left in the shape of a St. Andrew's Cross. Turn the paper over, and holding two of the folds between the finger and thumb of each hand, press them inward, and press the paper quite flat, so as to make it take the form shown in Fig. 1. Make the corners a and b meet at e; turn the paper over, and make the corners c and d also meet at the same point e. Turn the first side uppermost again, and the paper will show as in Fig. 2. Make creases in the paper, by folding a to b, a to c, d to b, and d to c; the creases should then show as indicated by the dotted lines in the figure, the paper being folded out immediately after each inward fold. Next pinch together between the finger and thumb those parts indicated by the letters a, x, z and d, w, y; pinch first the one, and then the other, and the paper will fall naturally into the form given by the folds, and will appear like Fig. 3; the dotted lines outside the figure representing the reverse side of the paper, the letters a, b, c forming the handle of one side of the bellows. Afterwards turn the paper over, and do with the other side as last described, by first folding the paper and then pinching it into shape; the handle of the other side of the bellows will so be formed, and the toy is complete, as represented by Fig. 4. The bellows are blown by alternately pulling out the paper by the handles and closing it again quickly, when wind will be found coming out of the bellows at the point marked A.

Paper Boat.—For this toy the size of the paper should be nine inches by six, or with sides of proportionate length. Double the paper as in Fig. 1; turn up the corners a a, until they meet at b, when paper will look as in Fig. 2; turn down the two sides c, one to the one side, and the other to the other side, to the dotted line d d. Insert the thumb of each hand, and pull out the paper so that it may take the form of Fig. 3; being careful in so doing to arrange neatly the corners d d of Fig. 2. Turn up the points marked e in Fig. 3, one to the one side, and the other to the other, till they touch the point f, folding at the dotted line of the figure. Insert the thumbs again, and pull out the paper to make the form shown in Fig. 4. Lastly, take hold of the paper with the finger and thumb of each hand at the points g g, and pull them gently outwards right and left, being careful not to press the inside, and the boat will be complete as in Fig. 5.

Paper Boat.