Paper Phone Template

Materials list

• A printer and plain US Letter printer paper (card stock also works)
• Thin cardboard for the core, such as a cereal box or shipping box
• A glue stick (preferred) or white school glue used sparingly
• Scissors; grown-ups can help with thick cardboard corners
• Clear tape to cover the screen so it looks shiny
• Optional: crayons, colored pencils or markers for coloring pages; stickers for the back

For a squishy phone instead of a firm one, skip the cardboard and use clear packing tape plus soft stuffing, the same way as a paper squishy.

How to make a paper phone

1. Print the front and back at 100% scale. The real size is about as big as a phone, 6 inches tall.
2. Color it in if you chose the coloring page, or draw your own screen on the blank one.
3. Glue the front onto thin cardboard, like the side of a cereal box. Glue the back onto the other side, lining up the top edges.
4. Cut along the grey line through all the layers. Grown-ups can help with the thick corners.
5. Cover the screen with clear tape so it's shiny like glass and lasts longer.

Squishy phone: skip the cardboard, cover both pieces with packing tape, tape them together around the edge and stuff lightly with tissue, like a paper squishy.

Print settings for a free printable paper phone template

• Paper: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in).
• Scale: 100% or Default. Turn off "Fit to page" so the real-size phone stays about 6 inches tall.
• Background graphics: turn on, or the wallpaper and case colors may print blank.
• Headers and footers: turn off so the date and URL do not print on the phone.
• Save as PDF: choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) if you want to print later or share the template with a class.

How to use the paper phone maker

1. Choose a screen. The home screen shows a grid of app icons, the lock screen shows the time, a name and a short message, and the blank screen is empty so you can draw your own.
2. Choose a style. In color is ready to print and cut. Coloring page prints black outlines for you to color.
3. Pick a wallpaper and a case color. The preview updates as you click, so you can try a few before printing.
4. Decorate the back. Add a heart, star, smiley or rainbow sticker, or leave it plain, and type a name of up to 16 letters.
5. Open "Size, copies and extras" to switch between the real size (6 inches tall, one phone per page) and the small size (4½ inches, two per page), to print up to 8 phones, to change the time on the screen, and to add a page of app stickers.
6. Print. Use US Letter at 100% scale and turn on "Background graphics" so the colors print.

Ideas and variations

• Design your own apps. Pick the blank screen, add the app sticker page, and glue on the apps you want.
• Make a phone for each friend with their name on the lock screen and the back.
• Pretend play: a paper phone is great for playing store, office or school.
• Class projects: print coloring-page phones and have students draw an app they would invent.
• Party favors: print small phones for each guest, or pair a paper phone with a cash gift in a printable money envelope.
• Squishy set: make a matching paper squishy (heart, star or cat) to go with the phone.
• Coloring rainy day: print several coloring-page phones and let kids invent wallpapers with crayons.

Tips for a neater paper phone

• Print one test page first. Hold a real phone against it. If the paper phone is not about 6 inches tall, the print dialog is probably set to "Fit to page" instead of 100%.
• Use a glue stick rather than liquid glue. Thin printer paper wrinkles easily when it gets wet, and a glue stick keeps the front flat.
• Color with pencils or crayons on coloring pages. Markers can bleed through thin paper and show on the other side.
• Cut curves slowly. Turn the paper into the scissors instead of turning the scissors, and the rounded corners come out smoother.
• Keep messages short. The lock screen name holds up to 24 characters and the message up to 34, which is plenty for a name and one line.
• For young children, choose the real size. It is easier to cut and to hold than the small one.
• Make a matching set for a party or a class by printing several copies with different names on the lock screen or the back.
• Want something squishier? The paper squishy template maker uses the same tape-and-stuff method.

Safety note for kids

Paper phones are a craft, not a toy for toddlers. Scissors, tape and small stickers need adult help for younger children. Keep plastic bags and packing-tape rolls out of reach of children under three. The designs on this page are original and are not real phones or apps.

Paper flip phone template

Choose Flip phone under Screen for an old-school flip phone: a screen with the time and an optional name on the top half, and a keypad with call and end buttons, a round navigation pad and number keys on the bottom half. The back shows a small outer screen and a camera.

1. Print and cut the front and back on the grey line.
2. Glue each piece onto thin cardboard, then cut the cardboard along the dashed hinge line so each piece becomes two halves.
3. Tape the halves together along the hinge with a strip of clear tape on the inside and outside, so the phone opens and closes.
4. Glue the back halves onto the outside of the front halves, and your paper flip phone is done.

Every design prints as a printable paper phone template PDF if you choose Save as PDF in the print window, which is handy for a class set.

Paper phone FAQ