Make a Pretend Cell Phone from Paper

A paper cell phone won't make calls for you or receive them but it is a lot of fun to make and play pretend calling with. This is a simple craft for a children's toy, and with some help, the children can be involved in making it.

Steps

Making a paper phone from scratch

  1. Cut out a small piece of paper or card that is the color you want your phone to be. The paper should be in the shape of a cell phone (this means that you cut it so that the phone is as small or as large as you would like the play cell phone to be).
  2. Cut out two pieces of white paper. Make sure that they fit on the colored paper pieces just cut, with a small gap in between. Make the top white square smaller than the bottom one. This piece forms the screen and the bottom forms the keyboard.
  3. Make the keyboard. Make a grid on the big piece of white paper that is two lines down and three lines across. This is your keypad. Now fill in the grid with numbers so that they look like this: 2abc, 3def, 4ghi, 5jkl, etc. Each square should have one number and three letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order inside.
  4. Add some relevant buttons. In the gap between the screens, draw a little circle; this is going to be your Home button. You may also like to draw a couple of other buttons around this, depending what model of a phone you want
  5. Fix the screen details. For example, you may want to draw up a "background" with "apps." Really, this is where you can get creative! Draw your dream phone and what you want on it!
  6. Seal the toy phone. To extend its lifespan, the toy cell phone can be covered in clear book covering laminate or you could paint Mod Podge or craft glue over it to form a sealant layer.
  7. Finished. Once the phone is made, it can be played with.

Transforming junk mail into a toy phone

  1. Find junk mail catalogs with cell phone imagery in them. What you're aiming for is to find the larger images, ones you could hold in your hand and are similar to the size of the real phones.
  2. Cut out the large cell phone image of choice. Take care to cut it neatly and in conformity with its exact shape.
  3. Draw around the shape onto a piece of thin card. Cut out this shape. This forms the backing for the cell phone.
  4. Glue the advertising image to the backing you've just cut out. Allow to dry.
  5. Add sealant or clear laminate. Use Mod Podge, clear craft glue or clear laminate paper to provide a protective layer over the top. This will extend the toy phone's life.
  6. Done. The toy cell phone is now ready for play.

Printed PDF paper phone

  1. Download a PDF file from any other site that has a good phone file.
  2. Print this PDF file onto heavy cardstock. Be sure that your printer can handle the cardstock. Then cut it out and fold the card. You may need to go to a print shop if you cannot print on cardstock at home.
    • Alternatively, print on paper and attach to the cardboard shape.
  3. Seal if desired. Use either Mod Podge or clear craft glue to seal the phone, or cover with clear laminate paper. This will extend the life of the toy phone.
  4. Done. It's now ready for playtime.



Tips

  • Don't use too dark a color if drawing the numbers on, or you won't see them clearly.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardstock or a full sheet Avery type label
  • Colored paper
  • Advertising image of phone
  • PDF of a phone
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • White paper
  • Pens
  • Mod Podge or clear craft glue, or clear laminate paper

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