18+ Easy Back To School Paper Crafts for Preschool & Kindergarten
Back to School Paper Crafts are a cheerful way to welcome the season with color, texture, and a little handmade charm. Paper is such a friendly material to work with, and it turns simple supplies into festive pieces that feel fresh and fun.
From bright cardstock to patterned scraps and easy cut-and-glue details, these Back to School Paper Crafts are easy to save and simple to make. They bring a cozy seasonal mood to school time while staying beginner-friendly, budget-smart, and full of creative possibilities.
Cheerful Paper School Bus
A bright paper school bus makes a playful back-to-school desk decoration with a friendly face and happy little riders peeking out the windows.
What you need
- 1 yellow paper or cardstock
- 1 small cardboard box
- Black, gray, blue, and white paper
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Scissors
- Black marker
How to make it
- Cover The Box With Yellow Paper To Form The Bus Body
- Cut A Rounded Front Piece For The Windshield And Draw A Simple Smiling Face
- Add Paper Windows, Stripes, Lights, And A Grille With Small Cutouts
- Make Paper Wheels And Glue Them To The Sides, and Finish By Adding Little Student Faces Or Colorful Seat Details Inside The Windows
Bright Honeycomb Paper Apple
A bright paper apple makes a sweet back-to-school accent with its ribbed shape, crisp red color, and cheerful handmade charm.
What you need
- Red cardstock or thick paper
- Green paper
- Brown paper strip
- Glue stick
- Scissors
How to make it
- Cut several same-sized red paper circles or ovals
- Fold each piece into narrow accordion pleats
- Glue the folded pieces together in a round apple shape
- Add a brown stem and a green paper leaf at the top
Paper Crayon Bouquet
A cheerful paper crayon bouquet makes a fun desk-ready gift with bright colors and a cozy back-to-school feel.
What you need
- Brown wrapping paper
- Colorful paper for crayons
- Green paper for leaves
- Twine or string
- Black marker
- Glue or tape
How to make it
- Roll the colorful paper into crayon shapes and secure the ends with glue or tape
- Cut small black paper bands or draw stripes near the tops to mimic crayon labels
- Shape the green paper into leaf pieces and tuck them around the crayons
- Wrap the base with brown paper, gather it into a bouquet, and tie it neatly with twine
Cloudy Rainbow Desk Decor
A layered paper rainbow makes a sweet little desk accent with a soft, cheerful feel. The dark scalloped border, fluffy clouds, and bright arches give it a playful back-to-school look.
What you need
- Cardstock In Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, And Navy
- White Paper For The Clouds
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Star Stickers Or Paper Stars
How to make it
- Cut several rainbow arches in matching sizes from the colored cardstock
- Layer the arches from largest to smallest on a white base
- Add two rounded cloud shapes to the bottom corners
- Finish by gluing on star decorations around the rainbow
Colorful Paper Globe Display
A bright paper globe like this brings a cheerful classroom feel to any desk or shelf. The layered continents and bold blue base make it look fun, educational, and easy to admire.
What you need
- Blue cardstock or paper
- Assorted colored paper for continents
- Paper or cardboard for the stand
- Glue stick
- Scissors
How to make it
- Cover a round globe shape with blue paper
- Cut out continent shapes from colored paper
- Glue the continents onto the globe
- Build and attach a sturdy paper stand
Apple Tab Notebook Charm
A sweet apple-covered notebook brings a cozy back-to-school feel to any desk or backpack. The layered paper details and bright tabbed pages make it look playful, tidy, and ready for school notes.
What you need
- 1 plain mini notebook
- 1 piece of red paper
- 1 piece of green paper
- 1 piece of brown paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Colored cardstock scraps
How to make it
- Cut a simple apple shape from red paper and a small stem from brown paper
- Cut a tiny leaf from green paper and glue it near the stem
- Attach the apple cluster to the notebook cover with a glue stick
- Trim small colored tabs from cardstock scraps and tuck them between the pages
Pastel Paper Bell Charm
A soft paper bell with a sweet pink bow and bright star accents brings a cheerful handmade touch to back-to-school decorating.
What you need
- 1 sheet of blue cardstock
- Yellow paper
- Pink paper
- 1 small round paper circle
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Ribbon or looped strip of paper
- Star punch or star cutouts
How to make it
- Cut a scalloped blue backing and shape the yellow paper into bell panels
- Glue the yellow pieces together so they form a rounded bell shape
- Make the pink bow, add the round center, and attach it to the top
- Finish with the hanging loop, small stars, and the bottom paper circle
Folded Paper Apple Pencil Holder
A folded paper apple pencil holder brings a playful back-to-school look to any desk while keeping small pencils tidy and easy to grab.
What you need
- Red craft paper
- Green and brown paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
How to make it
- Fold the red paper into a rounded apple shape with a hollow center
- Cut a green leaf and brown stem from paper
- Glue the leaf and stem to the top of the apple
- Fill the center with small colored pencils or paper pencil shapes
Stacked Paper Books
A trio of stacked paper books adds a sweet school-day touch to any desk, bulletin board, or classroom display. The layered covers and visible white pages give the finished craft a cheerful bookish look.
What you need
- Blue craft paper
- Green craft paper
- Red craft paper
- White paper scraps
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Black marker
How to make it
- Cut each book cover from colored paper in a rounded rectangle shape
- Fold a narrow flap on one edge to give the books a 3D look
- Cut small white paper blocks for the pages and glue them inside each cover
- Stack the books together and add simple drawn page lines or edge details
Paper Apple Basket Display
A bright paper apple basket brings a sweet classroom feel to any desk or shelf, with layered red curves and tiny green apples packed inside.
What you need
- Red cardstock
- Green cardstock
- Brown cardstock
- Scissors
- Glue stick
How to make it
- Cut two wide red apple shapes and a matching base piece
- Fold and glue the red pieces into a rounded basket form
- Cut small apple shapes, leaves, and stems from the colored cardstock
- Layer the apples inside the basket and add a leaf-topped apple to the rim
Apple And Books Door Hanger
A sweet paper door hanger with stacked books and bright apple accents brings a cheerful back-to-school look to any space.
What you need
- 1 blue cardstock base
- 1 sheet of black paper
- Red, green, yellow, and brown paper scraps
- 1 paper apple cutout
- 1 paper pencil cutout
- 1 glue stick
- 1 pair of scissors
How to make it
- Cut the blue cardstock into a rounded door-hanger shape with a hole at the top
- Layer the black paper in the center and trim it into a neat label shape
- Cut and stack the colorful paper books, then glue on the apple and pencil embellishments
- Finish by adding small leaf accents around the bottom for a polished classroom-style look
Folded Pencil Paper Craft
A cheerful folded pencil makes a playful desk accent with bright school colors and a fun accordion body.
What you need
- Yellow patterned paper
- Pink paper
- Gray paper
- Black paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- White marker
How to make it
- Cut A Long Yellow Strip And Fold It Back And Forth Into An Accordion
- Shape A Pink Eraser Top, A Gray Ferrule Band, And A Black Pencil Tip From Paper
- Glue The Folded Strip Between The Pencil Pieces And Press It Flat
- Add Tiny White Lines And Simple Doodles To Give The Pencil A Finished School-Day Look
Pastel Backpack Paper Organizer
A pastel paper backpack makes a sweet and useful school-day organizer with a soft, cheerful look.
What you need
- Blue cardstock or heavyweight paper
- Yellow and pink craft paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Green paper scraps
- Ribbon or paper strip for the handle
How to make it
- Cut and fold the blue cardstock into a small backpack-shaped box
- Add a yellow front pocket and a pink flap to create the layered look
- Attach small paper straps, buckle details, and a curved handle at the top
- Fill it with pencils, markers, or little desk supplies for a cute display
Wise Owl Book Caddy
A sweet paper owl with big eyes and a tiny book makes a charming desk buddy for back-to-school time.
What you need
- Brown cardstock
- Light green paper
- Cream paper
- White paper
- Black paper
- Yellow paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
How to make it
- Cut the owl body, wings, eyes, beak, feet, and layered feather pieces from the colored paper
- Build the face by stacking the large eyes, black pupils, and beak on the head
- Fold a small paper book and glue it between the wings so the owl looks like it is reading
- Add the feather layers, feet, and final glue touches to finish the standing paper owl
Woven Paper Apple Mat
A woven paper apple brings a bright, classroom-friendly look with a charming basket-weave texture and a simple leaf and stem finish.
What you need
- Red construction paper
- Green construction paper
- Brown paper strip
- Glue stick
- Scissors
How to make it
- Cut a large apple shape from red paper
- Cut even red and green paper strips for weaving
- Weave the strips across the apple and trim the edges
- Glue on a brown stem and a green leaf
Cozy Paper Classroom House
A charming paper classroom house brings the school day to life with bright colors, little desks, and sweet front doors that open wide for a playful display.
What you need
- Red cardstock
- Blue cardstock
- Black cardstock
- Yellow cardstock
- White cardstock
- Green cardstock
- Brown cardstock
- Scissors
- Glue
- Ruler
How to make it
- Cut a blue base and a red front wall with roof pieces, then trim out two open doors and a small bell tower
- Add White windows, cloud shapes, and black roof edges to give the house a neat school look
- Build tiny classroom details like the chalkboard, bunting, desks, chairs, globe, books, and potted plant
- Glue the front wall to the base, fold the doors open, and finish by placing the green bushes at the bottom
Sweet Pencil Garland Charm
A row of paper pencils makes a cheerful garland that feels perfect for a fresh school-space refresh. The bright yellow bodies, pink erasers, and sharp black tips give it a playful classroom look.
What you need
- Yellow cardstock
- Pink cardstock
- Gray cardstock
- Black cardstock
- White twine
- Glue
- Scissors
How to make it
- Cut pencil shapes from yellow cardstock with pointed bottoms and flat tops
- Add pink erasers, gray metal bands, and black pencil tips from the other papers
- Glue each pencil onto the twine with even spacing
- Let everything dry, then hang the garland across a desk, shelf, or wall
Bright Paper School Bus Box
A cheerful paper school bus makes a playful little treat box for back-to-school season. The bright yellow shape, blue windows, and open top give it a fun classroom look that feels happy and useful.
What you need
- Yellow cardstock or construction paper
- Black paper or cardstock
- Blue paper for windows
- Glue stick or craft glue
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
- Small candy or treats
How to make it
- Cut and fold the yellow paper into a simple box with a lifted lid shape
- Add black wheels, bumper pieces, and window frames from cardstock
- Glue on blue windows, lights, and small hand-drawn details
- Fill the bus with candy or tiny notes and close the lid gently