For our tropical collection this month, we thought it would be fun to make some paper geckos. This is an easy paper craft that’s perfect for beginners. And it is also a craft that kids can help out with! 

Because there are some tiny cuts to make and scoring to do, we recommend using a cutting machine for this project. However, you can also cut and score your paper geckos by hand using our printable template.

Art Gecko

While you can use our photos as inspiration, we encourage you to get creative with your paper geckos. Our designer Krista used Posca paint pens to draw on vibrant spots and other markings. But you could also use crayons, colored pencils, gel pens, or anything pigmented.

Since these paper geckos are so simple to make, we do not have a step-by-step tutorial for this project. Just follow our instructions below — and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Crafting tip: Use glue dots on the feet of your paper geckos to stick them to walls, or scatter a few around a table for party decorations with some tropical leaves.

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Tools

• Cutting Machine (recommended)
• Scissors or Detail Knife (if cutting by hand)
• Cutting Mat (if cutting by hand)
• Bone Folder (if scoring by hand)

Materials

• Cardstock Paper — Basis Green, Lime Green, Aqua, Black, and Pink
  
• Paint Pen —Uni Posca PC-3m in White, Green, Light Green, Pastel Green, Coral Pink, and Light Pink
• Glue Dots (optional)

Instructions

Download our SVG cut file or PDF template below, then cut and score your paper geckos. Use a paint pen to add some color variation and more detail to your geckos. Then, fold your geckos according to the score lines. 

Note: We also have a color-in version available that works with Cricut’s Print-Then-Cut feature. Our paper geckos are 7″ tall, so you’ll need to re-size the jpg files after uploading.

Explore More

Want more projects like this one? Check out all of our tropical crafts. Or you can explore the rest of our May collection! For daily craft ideas and inspiration, join us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.