Create a Stop Motion Video Using Papers
Make a short stop-motion video using paper characters, safety scissors, tape, and a phone or tablet; plan frames, move pieces slightly, and photograph each step.
Step-by-step guide to create a stop motion video using papers
Step 1
Pick a short story or action for your video like "a paper character walks across the room."
Step 2
Find a flat table or floor space and lay down your plain background paper or cardboard.
Step 3
Draw simple paper characters and any props on paper with your pencil.
Step 4
Color your characters and props with your coloring materials.
Step 5
Cut out the characters and props carefully with safety scissors.
Step 6
Attach small tape tabs to the bottoms of the characters so they can stand or be slid easily.
Step 7
Arrange your first scene on the background with the characters where you want them to start.
Step 8
Position your device so the camera is steady and the whole scene stays in the frame.
Step 9
Take the first photo of your starting scene.
Step 10
Move your characters a tiny bit to show the next small action.
Step 11
Take another photo after each tiny movement.
Step 12
Repeat moving and photographing until your story is finished.
Step 13
Use a stop-motion app or your device’s video editor to play the photos as a movie and check the motion.
Step 14
Save the final stop-motion video to your device.
Step 15
Share your finished stop-motion video on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have background paper, coloring materials, or safety scissors?
Use a clean sheet of printer paper, wrapping paper, a flattened cereal or shipping box as your background, substitute markers/crayons with colored pencils or stickers for the coloring step, and use adult scissors with close supervision if safety scissors aren't available.
My video looks jumpy or characters keep falling over—what should I try?
Stabilize the device with a stack of books or a phone tripod, reinforce the characters' bottoms with stronger tape tabs as instructed, make smaller, consistent movements between each photo, and keep lighting steady to reduce jitter.
How can I adapt this stop-motion activity for different ages?
For younger kids use pre-drawn characters, larger movements, and have an adult cut the pieces and attach the tape tabs, while older kids can design detailed props, use finer incremental moves and more photos per second in the stop-motion app for smoother motion.
What are simple ways to enhance or personalize our stop-motion video?
Add handmade layered backgrounds and props, record a voiceover or sound effects in the stop-motion app, experiment with different frame rates for slow or fast motion, and include a title card before saving and sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to create a stop motion video using papers
How to make Stop Motions for Beginners Part 1 (Stop Motion Tutorial)
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How to make Stop Motions for Beginners Part 1 (Stop Motion Tutorial)
Stop Motion Video Tutorial for Kids
How To Make a STOP-MOTION ANIMATION (basics tutorial 101)
Stop Motion Animation with Cut Paper
Facts about stop-motion animation for kids
✂️ Lotte Reiniger used paper silhouettes to create The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), one of the earliest surviving animated feature films.
🧷 Cutout animation is super old-school: animators used paper, pins, and tape to pose characters before modern cameras and apps.
🧪 Modern stop-motion makers often use phone/tablet apps with 'onion-skin' overlays so you can see the last frame while shooting.
🎬 Stop-motion makes paper (or toys!) look alive by photographing tiny movements frame-by-frame—many animators use about 12 frames per second for smooth motion.
📱 Want a 10-second movie? At 12 fps you'll need 120 photos—tiny moves add up to big stories!
How do I make a stop-motion video using paper characters?
What materials do I need to create a paper stop-motion video?
What ages is this paper stop-motion activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of making a paper stop-motion video?
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