Create a dinosaur-themed bedroom with recyclable papercraft décor

Just like adults, children adore expressing their creativity and personalities through the spaces around them. And when you're young, your bedroom isn't just where you fall asleep at the end of a long day. It's where you do your homework, where you play, where your friends stay over – it's your own little universe. What better way to make that space truly your own than crafting something you love? With Canon Creative Park, a PIXMA printer, some paper and a pair of scissors, it has never been easier.

There are many ways to customise children's bedroom décor – such as patterned curtains or bedding, and painted murals or framed prints. But it can be hard to keep up with children's ever-changing interests. One minute, it's all about space and astronauts, then they're on to pirates, and before you know it, dinosaurs. Repainting and buying new linen or artworks each time can be expensive, but you can now give your child's bedroom a prehistoric makeover in a more affordable way.

So, why not try paper decorations? When your children's interests change, you can simply recycle the decorations and make some more. There are thousands of free templates, including all sorts of child-friendly papercraft ideas, available on the Canon Creative Park app and website, but budding palaeontologists will be especially thrilled to see the dinosaur designs available. Choose a full-head mask, such as that of a Pteranodon or a Triceratops, or a paper figure of an Apatosaurus. And if your children want to get the perfect pop-up card for a friend's birthday, why not create a T-rex card? Chee-Chiu Lee and his two sons Elon (7) and Okkie (11) tried out a selection of designs from the site.

One of the best things about dinosaur papercraft is that you don't need new or complicated equipment. Check the instructions for each template – some might require extra materials, such as string, elastic bands, craft glue or colouring pens – but in general, here's what you'll need:

• Canon PIXMA printer, such as the PIXMA TS5340a.
• The Canon Creative Park app (or website).
• Canon Matte Photo Paper is highly recommended, especially for brighter, more detailed designs, but any A4 printer paper works fine for some simpler designs.
• A pair of scissors – safety scissors are best for younger crafters.

Once you have your tools, it's time to select your designs on Canon Creative Park, download the templates and print them out using your PIXMA printer. There are so many designs to choose from – from a cute paper mobile that will appeal to smaller children, to posters showing a T-rex baring its big, scary teeth that gore-loving older kids will love. Eleven-year-old Okkie found the crafting work particularly interesting – "especially seeing the way the paper tabs work together to create 3D magic!" says Chee.

Talking through what to choose is a great way to get chatting to your children about different kinds of dinosaurs, which they like best and why. You might be surprised by how much they can teach you!

Each template comes with step-by-step printable instructions that you can refer to as you go along, a star rating to indicate difficulty level, and information on approximately how long it should take to make. As some of the designs are easier to assemble than others, this means there's something for everyone to get stuck in to – from children just starting school and preteens to grandparents. "There was something about choosing and printing the dinosaurs which made the boys feel like they were creating something from scratch," says Chee.

Let your children tackle the more straightforward templates independently, such as the cute origami Triceratops or an easy mini dinosaur, while you help with tackling the trickier ones, like the 3D Stegosaurus. It's easy to adapt different designs to the skills levels of your children. "Okkie was skilled enough for some complicated cutouts and sticking it all together," says Chee.

Some of the models, such as the articulated paper doll Tyrannosaurus and the elastic-powered Stegosaurus, have moving parts, adding some understanding of engineering and physics into the educational mix.

Ask your children how they think they could display their dinosaur papercraft to best effect. Maybe they'd like to create a gallery wall of cool dinosaur prints? Together, you can plan out where each one would look best. Perhaps they've made lots of model dinosaurs or crafted their own mini dinosaur diorama. These look fantastic arranged on a shelf, a desk or a chest of drawers so children can grab them quickly when they want to play. "The boys liked placing the dinosaurs in the house plant setting," explains Chee.

Next time it's pouring with rain outside or you're looking for something to do on a weekend afternoon, there's no need to spend money on expensive activities. This dinosaur papercraft activity isn't just fun, it also allows your children to develop a whole range of skills, such as creativity, concentration, following instructions and teamwork. They'll be delighted when they see the results – a unique bedroom or play space they can proudly say they've made their own. And when their tastes change, you can just head back to Canon Creative Park to discover more paper templates for designs that tie in to their next topic of interest.

There's never been a better time to decorate your child's bedroom in an affordable way with Canon Creative Park's prehistoric papercrafts. And once you're done, take a picture and share it with the hashtag #MadeWithPixma to inspire others who are keen to have a go. Now all you have to decide is which dinosaur to bring to life!