It just sort of... happens
I never meant to take up paper crafting (well, not beyond paper airplanes anyway): that's Mom's hobby. I don't do it very often--mostly when necessity calls for something.
Valentines
I don't know when it started, but the first thing I remember is making a paper box for valentines in grade school. I needed some form of mailbox, so I got a stapler and some paper and made it.
Dust Covers
More recently, I needed dust covers as I bought some video games from used game stores. Sure, people sell bona fide covers on eBay, but who wants to pay money for a flimsy plastic cover or itty bitty box that just happens to be the right size? I got my games, tape, scissors, a ruler and pencil, and several sheets of paper, and I spread them all over the floor and got to work taking measurements, drawing boxes, cutting things out, taping them up, and trying again. (Always remember: Add extra space for the thickness of the paper medium; cut paper from the corners. The one instance when it's good to cut corners!) A few hours per gaming console of trial and error on Photoshop later, and voila! Paper sleeves for NES, N64, and Game Boy. (I should go back and do the SNES ones, too.)
Customizable Envelopes
Last night I burned a CD and couldn't find any jewel cases. I opened InDesign. After only two tries and only one hour, I succeeded in making a CD/DVD envelope. The great thing is that I can customize the envelope, which is nice since I don't have CD labels available to me and since cutting a hole in the paper for a window would defeat the whole purpose of protecting against scratches. I have several design improvements to make it easier to glue together on the sides and open on the top. This will be great for things like family history and archiving. It could save a lot of money on jewel cases, too.
Valentines
I don't know when it started, but the first thing I remember is making a paper box for valentines in grade school. I needed some form of mailbox, so I got a stapler and some paper and made it.
Dust Covers
More recently, I needed dust covers as I bought some video games from used game stores. Sure, people sell bona fide covers on eBay, but who wants to pay money for a flimsy plastic cover or itty bitty box that just happens to be the right size? I got my games, tape, scissors, a ruler and pencil, and several sheets of paper, and I spread them all over the floor and got to work taking measurements, drawing boxes, cutting things out, taping them up, and trying again. (Always remember: Add extra space for the thickness of the paper medium; cut paper from the corners. The one instance when it's good to cut corners!) A few hours per gaming console of trial and error on Photoshop later, and voila! Paper sleeves for NES, N64, and Game Boy. (I should go back and do the SNES ones, too.)
Customizable Envelopes
Last night I burned a CD and couldn't find any jewel cases. I opened InDesign. After only two tries and only one hour, I succeeded in making a CD/DVD envelope. The great thing is that I can customize the envelope, which is nice since I don't have CD labels available to me and since cutting a hole in the paper for a window would defeat the whole purpose of protecting against scratches. I have several design improvements to make it easier to glue together on the sides and open on the top. This will be great for things like family history and archiving. It could save a lot of money on jewel cases, too.