Paper Gun!

This is a paper gun, made from only paper folding! I was taught this when I was a little kid by a family friend, and from a basic web search, have never found this method online. So in this age where everything is electronically documented, let us follow the masses and bring this method to the world!

DISCLAIMER: Describing paper folding techniques is much more difficult than I could ever have imagined! I'm dreadfully sorry if my instructions aren't too clear. Hopefully, following the pictures will help you along. Best of luck, and godspeed!

Step 1: Paper!

Total: 5 sheets

Cut into:

• 3 hamburger style halves
• 14 quarters

The quarters will make up the handle, so you can add some more or take some away, depending on your hand size. Custom gun handles, what? Fun stuff!

Step 2: Make the Little Handle Pieces

This step is to make ONE little two-pronged, triangular piece. Many of these will fit together to make the handle of the gun. This is the most tedious step, so I put it first. Once this part is done, you're more than halfway done!

1. Fold a quarter hamburger style
2. Fold it the same way again
3. Fold the piece the OTHER way. I guess since now the longest side is horizontally because of the first two folds, this is also hamburger?
4. Open it back up, and fold both ends perpendicularly. Just look at the picture...
5. Fold the overhanging corners in. I like to leave some space so it doesn't get super bulky; I just eyeball it. Or you can just ignore me, whatever.
6. Fold the overhanging edge over. So that the edge essentially continues the way it was going.
7. Fold the whole thing together. The legs you folded over should end up on the inside.

Step 3: Make the Body

Yay, you're more than halfway done! This part ain't hard, unless you really suck at folding into thirds. Even then, that's only one time. Here we go!

1. Fold one half piece into quarters. This piece shall be known as the "quarters" piece.
2. Fold another half piece into thirds. This one shall be known as the "thirds" piece.
3. Fold the "thirds" piece into a "W" shape
4. Wrap the "quarters" piece around the middle of the "W". You can choose where the folds start on the "quarters" piece so that the last part will end in the middle.
5. Fold the free edges of the "W" into the wrapped part. It should now look like one contained piece, without anything flapping around.

Step 4: Make the Barrel

This part took some time for me to get. The trick that helped me is to begin rolling a corner of paper into as tight of a roll as possible, between your thumb and forefinger.

1. Start rolling the last half sheet of paper as tightly as possible
2. Roll up the rest of the sheet as tightly as possible
3. Realize that it comes loose when you're not holding it
4. Unroll the sheet
5. Repeat on an opposite corner. An opposite corner means that it shares no edges with the corner you started on.
6. Roll it all up; this time, it should stay!

Step 5: Assemble the Handle

1. Notice that there are two slits along the backside of your triangular handle pieces. This is where the next piece will insert.
2. Push the two prongs of another triangular piece into the slits. One prong into each slit.
3. Push it as tightly as possible
4. Repeat for all the handle pieces

Step 6: Assemble the Barrel Onto the Body

1. Open up the middle part of the "W" a little bit. The barrel will fit snugly into there
2. Push the barrel into that gap. You can also twist the barrel to make it wide enough to fit in the "W" more snugly.
3. Tear off a bit from the front to make it straight
4. Fold the back of the tube flat
5. Fold up the back end. Just as an aesthetics thing.

Step 7: Handle to the Body

1. On the back of the body (the end where you folded the barrel up), there is another pair of slits. This is for the prongs at the front of the handle
2. Push the handle in!

Step 8: Done!

Hopefully, my instructions weren't too horrible. Describing paper folds really is difficult, and I apologize for my ignorance in proper paper folding terminology. I'm usually better at this, I swear! For proof, you can check out my website, Creations of My Mind (yes, I'm shamelessly promoting myself).

And most hopefully of all, I hope that this worked for you and you will be able to bring the wonder of this neat little gun into the lives of others! Good day!