Paper Punk

Paper Toys have long been a fascination to the world. Think back to when origami was a big fad. It’s not hard to see how popular paper toys have become, just check the internet. We’ve looked around the web and picked a few of our favorites. 

Old-School Polaroid Camera

How amazing is this old-school camera made out of paper!? This paper toy was created by Anna Trundle of ALTA Papercraft, who combines digital and handcrafted techniques into dimensional illustration.

Paper Fruit

Good enough to eat, am I right?! These juicy fruits make the perfect additions to your play kitchen or grocery stand. They will also make colorful decorations for kid’s rooms.

Architectural Paper Models

This masterpiece was created by an artist named Ingrid Siliakus. Making paper objects, she says, is a meditative process of cutting and folding the paper into different variations. And the result is extraordinary, a testament to what can be done with just one sheet of paper.

Graphic Paper Figures

One of our all time favorite paper toy artists is Shin Tanaka. He has famously taken street art and graffiti aesthetics to paper as his canvas. The geometry and graphic patterns and colors are a huge inspiration to Paper Punk. From first folding origami at the age of four to this collaborations with the likes of culture giants like Nike, Shin has helped fuel the paper toy mania to new heights.

When you think of the idea of “play”, what comes to mind? Video games? Kids? Sports?

What mostly comes to mind when I think of play is children. Much like the picture above, I imagine kids running around with abandon chasing a ball outdoors or finding 100 new ways to engage with the empty box in the recycling bin. Rarely, does anyone ever envision an adult. Gone are the days when our biggest problem/concern was how fast we could eat our lunch in order to have more time to play. Even though play time and aging seem inversely related as we get older, the importance of it to our health and happiness remains the same.

Here is why having some play time is good for you:

It relieves stress.

You ever wonder why people recommend going to the gym to relieve stress? A little chemical called endorphins is released and actually causes you to feel good. Overriding pain and stress, endorphins are a happy chemical.

That same chemical reaction is released when you’re playing games. That feeling of euphoria when you score a goal, complete a hard level of a video game, or make someone pick up 20 cards in UNO is because of our new found friend – endorphins.

Improve brain function – Hello STEM toys!

Another reason why having some play time is important is because it helps improve your brain function. Activities like Paper Punk are meant for you to have fun and be as creative as you can, but what you may not know, is that you’re actually using your STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematic) skills to do so.

By following the numerical pattern and folding each sheet, you end up creating a 3D geometric piece you didn’t even know was there. (Say hello to dimensional thinking skills and good old fashioned geometry!)

Classics like chess and Monopoly help improve your skills as well, but they may also lose you some friends. Not speaking from experience, of course.

Keep you feeling young and energetic.                         

Lastly, setting aside some time for play helps keep you young. Put down the anti-aging cream and pick up some board games.

We're believers in not only taking time out of your day for play, but also continuing to incorporate it into your everyday lives as you grow older.

When you really think about it, design in the form of objects are all around us. Whether at home, at work, or during leisure time, objects fill our lives from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep.

It’s been said that well-designed everyday objects can have a positive impact on the way we feel; that good design can make us feel happy and can inspire us to be more creative.

Here are 3 ways good design makes for a happy world and an even happier you!

1) Good design is: Functional & Simple

The simpler the utility the better. It’s actually really challenging to create something that holds high function and appears simple in design. As our design heroes, Charles and Ray Eames, have said, "The details are not the details. The details make the product.”

Well-designed objects trigger positive emotions like calmness and contentment, reducing negative feelings like anger and annoyance because the user experience is seamless, easy and elegant.

2) Good design is: Aesthetically Pleasing

Well-designed objects that are pleasing to the eye create positive emotions in us. After all, who doesn’t love some good eye candy? It’s obvious that beautiful things can boost our mood, making us happier people. Think about when you’re walking by some incredible art and the alchemy of colors and shapes of it changes your day for the better. We tend to appreciate things more that give us a spark of excitement or give us pleasure.

3) Good design can: Trigger Memories

In most cases, a good design can evoke positive emotions in you if you’re able to connect a memory with it. It has the ability to restore old memories, creating a kind of nostalgic feeling when around it.

What we love about Paper Punk is that paper toys are easy to build making them functional and simple. The various colors make each creation beautiful and once you’re finished building, you can keep your creations and reminisce the time you spent with loved ones to make them.

Design truly is all around us and it’s important to embrace it! #MakeSomething

Yesterday, we celebrated International Day of Happiness by asking you (and we did it ourselves) to Paper Punk It Forward and see for yourself – it was awesome. #PaperPunkItForward.

While we were reading some of your submissions, we couldn’t help but find ourselves really digging deep into what happiness is and when were we happiest.  So, we went out and asked a couple of people when they were most happy and here’s what they had to say:

“When I’m hanging out with friends. We get to talk and share stories about our life. Relax. And just spending time with people who you care about is a great experience.” – Kelly

“When I’m at home with my husband and puppy. They’re the love of my life.” – Vanita

“Marathoning Netflix shows and ordering takeout with my husband.” – Jill

“I’m happiest when I’m on an adventure. I love to experience new things and explore new opportunities. It’s really when I feel most alive.” - Amanda

We wanted to include a couple of submissions from our happiness campaign cause well, it made us pretty freaking happy:

I'm happiest helping people become their most creative self…especially making things with their hands!

What makes you happy?

Use our brand new Color+Build GRAFFITI Block kit to construct a positive message and pay your positive message forward for a chance to be featured in our virtual graffiti wall! By tagging us @PaperPunk and using the #PaperPunkItForward hashtag, you will have the chance to be part of our Paper Punk It Forward campaign.

They’re here!!!!!! Paper Punk’s new COLOR+BUILD My Life as a Fashion Designer and COLOR+BUILD Graffiti Happy Blocks Kits are now available for purchase at Target and here online! 

We are so psyched to share these two new products with you, your friends, and family. The Paper Punk play pattern just added a few new dimensions of coloring, story telling, and dream making with these COLOR+BUILD kits. We just know you will love making your mood and planning your fashion empire with us! In our tech driven lives, it’s too easy to get caught up in too much screen time. That’s why our kits are designed to feed your imagination and build your brain through hands-on play —all while spending quality time with loved ones. So… put down that iPad, turn off the TV, and allow your inner artist and dream of being a fashionista become reality.

In light of the launch, we’ve started a fun campaign around the Graffiti Block’s kit specifically and would encourage you to #PaperPunkItForward! All of the details are below! Enjoy :)

Today is Valentine’s Day, a day out of the year where society pressures us to make our loved ones feel as special as possible. But here at Paper Punk, we think it’s important to practice the art of making our loved ones feel special all of the time.

Everyone gives and receives love differently. Whether that be gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), or physical touch.

When it comes to showing someone you care, we tend to rely heavily on gift giving because it’s the easiest. But at Paper Punk we’re of the philosophy that sometimes it’s the smallest things that mean the most, so here are some fun and creative ways to show your loved one you’re thinking of them.

A cute note hung on the fridge or mirror:

A sweet, meaningful hand-made drawing:

Chef up a creative dish: