Bicycles: Made During the Victorian Era(1800-1899)

Today, people ride bicycles around their neighborhoods, in parks, and on trails, but have you ever wondered how bicycles got started? The first bicycle was invented in 1817 by a German inventor named Karl von Drais during the Victorian Era (1837–1901). His invention was called the Draisine, and it was made mostly out of wood.

Now that you know a little about the history of bicycles, let's get started!

Paper, straws, hot glue, double sided tape, staple, cardboard and scissors

Fold the paper in half and then cut on the fold. Fold it in half again and cut it in half again. Now you should have 2 long strips of paper.

Fold the paper back and forth to make the accordion fold. Do this twice since you need 2 wheels. After you create the accordion fold twice, stack it up and staple the center. Then take the double sided tape, and apply it on both ends of the paper. Stick it together on both sides to create a circle.

Grab 2 straws. Cut the tip of the bendy part off, but leave some space. Bend the bigger part of the straw, make it look like a "v." Hot glue it onto the wheel. Repeat with other wheel

Hot glue the second fork into the first. The second one should go in between the first.

You should have 2 bendy parts of the straw. Cut a slit on one of the bendy part, cut it from the shorter side. Fit the 2 parts in. Trim the sides if it is too long. Use some of the cut off part to make it a stand. Use hot glue to attach it onto the bike, attach the handle right on top of the stand.

Use some of the leftover straw to make the seat. You will use some as the stand. Take some cardboard and cut out the shape you want your seat to be. Hot glue the seat onto the stand, then hot glue the stand onto the main body of the bike.

You have just created your own little origami bike and learned a few things about bikes. Have a great rest of the day!