Before you begin, gather these items:

• Clean scrap paper (various colors and thicknesses)
• Ruler and pencil
• Scissors or trimming knife
• Paper glue or water-based glue
• Pins or clips
• Samples of envelopes, bags, or boxes (for reference)

Step 1: Study an existing envelope. Open it carefully and notice how the parts are glued together.

Step 2: Soften the glued edges with water and wait 3–10 minutes. Peel them apart gently.

Step 3: Unfold the envelope completely and let it dry. Iron it gently to make a flat template.

Step 4: Place your template on thick paper. Trace around it with a pencil.

Step 5: Cut the traced shape with scissors.

Step 6: Fold sides 3 and 4 inward, then fold side 2 on top of them.

Step 7: Apply glue to the edges and press firmly to join all sides.

Step 8: Glue the inner flap to close the envelope.

Your envelope is now ready!

Step 1: Cut a rectangular piece of paper.

Step 2: Fold the right and left sides toward the middle, overlapping by about 1 cm. Glue or tape the sides.

Step 3: Fold the bottom part, then unfold to leave a fold mark.

Step 4: Open the bottom, flatten each corner into a triangle shape.

Step 5: Fold each bottom side toward the middle and glue or tape them together.

Your paper bag is complete!

Step 1: Cut paper into long strips about 1–2 cm wide.

Step 2: Roll each strip tightly around a pencil to make tube-like shapes.

Step 3: Arrange 8–10 paper tubes in a star shape. Glue them together at the center.

Step 4: Weave a new tube over and under the base tubes in a circular motion.

Step 5: When one tube ends, glue another to it and continue weaving.

Step 6: Trim the top tubes to match the basket height. Fold ends inward and glue them down.

Step 7: Add decorations if you wish.

• Creativity: You learn to design new and interesting items
• Technical skills: You practice cutting, folding, and gluing
• Accuracy: You learn to measure carefully and follow instructions
• Patience: You develop the ability to work slowly and carefully
• Self-reliance: You can make your own items instead of buying them
• Entrepreneurship: You can sell your creations to earn money
• Environmental conservation: You recycle waste materials

1. List the steps for making an envelope from scrap paper.
2. Name three benefits of creating objects using unconventional materials.

• Template: A pattern used to make other items
• Scrap: Waste material that can be reused

In Tanzania, you can use these skills to make envelopes and bags for selling fruits, vegetables, or roasted maize at the market. For example, a small paper bag made from scrap paper can hold roasted groundnuts (karanga) to sell for 500 TSh at the bus stand. This helps you earn money while also keeping the environment clean by reusing waste materials.