Every Sunday when I was a little girl I would run up to my grandpa at church and crawl up on the pew next to him to watch him make me a paper boat. He would make all of his grandchildren boats to keep them entertained during church and was well-known for his boat making skills by other children in congregation. As I got older my grandpa taught me how to make my own paper boats and it has always stuck with me. Little did I know that this skill would become useful for my job one day.

Nautical anchor baby showers and birthday parties are a hot party theme right now, and we are in love with how customers are using paper boats to decorate their anchor parties. Here are some of our favorite paper boat trends and a step-by-step guide on how to make paper boats for your party.

{What You’ll Need}
8 ½ in by 11 in paper (or any size cut into a rectangle)
White String or Twine
Wooden Skewers
Glue
Scissors
Ruler
Extra paper to make pennant banner for boat or backdrop

Love the nautical paper we used? Click here to download a free printable of the paper for your party.

Not only are paper boats fun party décor, they are also fun kid activities at parties. Check out our 5 paper boat birthday party ideas for kids.

Kid Birthday Party Paper Boat Ideas:

1. Stop at step 6 in making your paper boat and you will have a party hat. These are the perfect party hats for a kid’s birthday party. The birthday boy or girl, and their guests can wear them at the party and they have the perfect look and style to match your nautical theme.

2. Decorate the straws at your party with a mini paper boat, cut off the top of the triangle point of the boat and slip the straw through the middle.

3. Use the straw boat décor as a name card for your party guests by adding a flag with your party guests’ names to the top of the straw.

4. Paper boats are also a great party activity for kids. Have each of the kids color an 8 ½ inch by 11 inch piece of paper and then make it into a boat. After the kiddos are done making their boats, use a kiddie pool to set-up boat races. The kids will have a blast racing each other and the fastest boat gets a prize!

5. Sail on over to our Ahoy – Nautical Pinterest Board for more paper boat ideas and anchor party ideas.

My grandpa making paper boats is a memory that I will cherish forever and a tradition that I will pass on to my son. I hope he enjoys having boat races with his cousins as much as I did. Happy sailing and we would love to see your paper boat creations.