Artist (and fellow WordPress blogger) Tina Kraus creates fantastic paper toys and pop-up books and cards featuring beautiful insects, animals, and plants. Her paper toys are primarily made out of crepe paper, which I’ve never seen used this way before. The crepe is so flexible, it seems like there’s no shape she can’t accurately reproduce, and the texture makes her creations fantastically life like.

Some artists try their hands at many different media before finding the right one for them. Not Kraus. She always knew paper was her thing.

“I started to craft with paper as a young child and spent many afternoons crafting and painting. When I was older I got some instruction books for crafting with paper and also for making pop-ups (It was by Paul Jackson I think) In the book were instructions and templates to many basic mechanisms but I soon started to take it as a challenge to recreate the pop-ups that were only shown as examples without any template or instruction. In my last year of high school I made my first pop-up book.”

–Tina Kraus interview with Best Pop-Up Books

You can follow the amazing Tina Kraus on her website, blog, and Instagram.

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Finally I've gotten around to take some nice pictures of my peony – the first one I feel ok about … 😆 . . . #paper #paperart #paperartwork #paperartist #paperartists #crepepaper #cartotecnicarossi  #liagriffithcrepe #crepepaperrevival #liagriffith  #crepepaperflowers #faltmanufaktur #paperengineering #pfingstrose  #natureisamazing  #paperlove #paperlover #botanicalart #botanicalpaper #peony #päonie #papernotpicked  #paperpeony  #floralart

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Feb 15, 2018 at 6:04am PST

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Make this lovely pop up card for your beloved this valentine's day! Template and instructions on my blog #faltmanufaktur #instacraft #valentines #valentinstag #popupcard #popup #paperengineer #paperengineering #valentinescard #valentinescrafts #freebie #template #diy #swans #swansinlove #romantic #weddingstationery

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Feb 2, 2017 at 7:17am PST

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I thought I would try out the dark background with the mantis and I love it! #paper #paperart #paperartwork #paperartist #paperartists #crepepaper #cartotecnicarossi #paperentomology #entomology #faltmanufaktur #paperengineering #madebyme #paperinsects #natureisamazing #paperlove #paperlover #papercrafr #crepepaperart #mantis #prayingmantis #orchidmantis #papersculpture #hymenopuscoronatus

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Feb 6, 2018 at 5:11am PST

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🐓Today begins the chinese new year of the rooster! 🐓 Make your own papertoy rooster with my instructions! Link in bio. #chinesenewyear #papercraft #faltmanufaktur #papertoy #rooster #chinesenewyears #yearoftherooster #chicken #diy #instacraft #chineseyearoftherooster #2017 #2017🐓

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Jan 27, 2017 at 3:51am PST

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Paper Automaton "Karussell", handgefertigtes Einzelstück Musik: "Come out and play" by DesperateMeasurez

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Feb 17, 2017 at 7:21am PST

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Finally I can show you what I've been working on lately. A crepe paper gecko! Sorry for the lack of posts the last weeks. 🌱 . . #paper #paperart #paperartwork #paperartist #paperartists #crepepaper #cartotecnicarossi #faltmanufaktur #paperengineering #madebyme #natureisamazing #paperlove #paperlover #gecko #crestedgecko #papergecko #paperreptile #papersculpture #crepepaperart #crepepaperartist #dslooking

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Apr 21, 2018 at 3:22am PDT

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Noch mehr schöne Ideen für Geschenkverpackungen gibts im großen Buch 'In Liebe verpackt'! #weihnachtsgeschenke #kreativbuch #weihnachtsgeschenk #geschenkefürkinder #papercraft #weihnachtsgeschenkeinliebeverpackt #inliebeverpackt #tinakraus #geschenkeverpacken #DIY #craft #emf #giftwrap #xmas #geschenkehübschverpackt #holidaycraft #kindergeschenk #cute #hübschverpackt #geschenkbox #geschenkpapier #schleich

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Dec 17, 2017 at 2:41am PST

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I made a paper pilea for my sister as a Christmas present! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #paper #paperart #paperartwork #paperartistcollective #faltmanufaktur #paperengineering #madebyme #natureisamazing #paperlove #paperlover #papersculpture #allthingsbotanical #papernotpicked #paperflowerchallenge #dsfloral #dscolor #dscollections #paperpilea #pilea #handmadeplant# #chinesemoneyplant #papierpflanze

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Dec 25, 2018 at 6:38am PST

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It's the year of the dog! Make a cute little papertoy dog for the Chinese New Year 2018 with my freebie! Link in Bio . . . #paper #paperart #paperartwork #paperartist #paperartists #faltmanufaktur #paperengineering #madebyme  #paperlove #paperlover #Papertoy #freebie #dog #cutedoggy #chinesenewyear #yearofthedog #lunarnewyear #2018yearofthedog #🐕

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Feb 15, 2018 at 3:48pm PST

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjJo62lprX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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New Freebie on my blog! Hop over to get the template and full instructions. #papercraft #papier #paperengineering #faltmanufaktur #crafting #template #papertoy #paperart #freebie #freestuff #llama #alpaca #papierfigur #basteln #cactus #cacti #kaktus #cute #süss #diy #linkinbio

A post shared by Tina (@faltmanufaktur) on Nov 7, 2017 at 9:59am PST