[DonRotolo]

Your chief material is paper, so let's focus on that.
Paper sheets are flimsy, unless their geometry is changed to make it stiff. Folding makes paper stiffer.

Paper is also strong in compression, but generally suffers from being a "slender column" (look it that definition).

It is somewhat strong in tension.

I don't know all the limitations, but paper tubes - particularly if reinforced with glue - can be quite stiff.

If you have an unlimited number of paper clips, it they are straightened, and the ends twisted into loops, they can be quite a strong tensile member.

You can also use paper clips at joints to reinforce, spreading the load out.

My advice: Buy some paper and glue make a dozen or three prototypes of the structural elements you think you need, and test - carefully, scientifically - which is strongest for your application. With data in hand, picking the winning solution becomes trivial.

Please let us know what you finally decide upon.