Paper Boats

By Suganya Sundar

Paper boats are a truly nostalgic thing which one can’t get enough of. It’s a prestigious thing to learn the art of making paper boats. It’s a little difficult first to get the precision as a toddler but through practice it’s possible to make boats of various sizes even with the smallest of square paper. News papers had been an integral part of almost all middle class household which means it’s the news on same day and next day it’s repurposed for various tasks and making of crafts is one among them. The newspapers were basically our origami paper. When it rains making paper boats to play even in the smallest of puddle is fun. The boat needs a perfect square so any paper taken is made into a square by tearing out the extra bit then it’s folded exactly in the middle and again to make a small square. The square is then held as if it is a diamond with the free edges on top. One of the four free edges is folded back to the base of the diamond and pressed so they match as a triangle. Then turning to the other side the remaining three free edges are folded together to match the triangle on the other side leaving a gap in middle. The gap is then opened and made into a smaller diamond by pressing the opposite sides together. The diamond now has something like a coat and the layer is spread outside on both sides forming a boat. It’s all pressed firmly and holding the middle the sides are widened to float in water. In the same procedure instead of folding all the free edges to the other side one of the free edge is folded into the gap in the middle and all other steps are followed the same resulting in a so called Kathi kappal that has a protrusion under the ship like a knife hence the name. The skill is a legacy to be passed on to next generation. 

By Suganya Sundar