When I am stressed or need to relax, I find that cutting paper is so soothing. The supplies are easy to find and cheap: an X-acto knife and paper with a printed design and a cutting board.
This paper craft is suited for teens and adults and can take 10 minutes to 30 minutes to complete.
I first started to notice paper-cutting when searching crafts like Origami and Kirigami: beautiful intricate paper-cuttings were showing up in my feed. So, while I admired from afar, I did not think I could do such detailed work.To make a long story short, I eventually tried it out, loved it and have been cutting and designing paper cutouts ever since.
The photo below is one of my designs that was inspired by the Ridvan Garden.This was made to go in a shadow box and hang on the wall. This design has lots of small leaves that have to be cut out and it is not an easy design to start with.
When looking for a beginner level design AKA an easy craft, you want a design with large images. Straighter lines are the best for beginners but not always possible so larger gentle curves are next best option. Open space between the design elements also help.
The photo below looks like a pretty easy design to cut out and it can be made even simplier for beginners.
When you are looking for a super easy first design here are some of the things to note:
Notice that the curve of the butterfly wings are smoother . This is now a simple paper cutout and if printed smaller can still be cut by a beginner.
This is an even easier image to cut. The file included is with the circles in the flowers: do not cut the circles or other small areas out and you will achieve the image below.
I start cutting from a corner. You can start anywhere you like. I slowly work my way up to the top of the design. Once cut I turn the design over so that any black printed lines do not show. You can have the black lines showing if you like.
TIP: For circles or curved areas, don’t try to cut the edge of the circle/ curve , instead make straight cut lines from edge to edge inside the circle this makes it easier to cut out and a bit cleaner finish.
I printed my design small and it took about 10 minutes to cut. The white cardstock is softer than the pink and you can see the difference in how it cuts.
I choose the smaller size as I thought it would be great for the front of a card. If this is your first time cutting, I would print larger size and practice. Also note that you cut the printed design and this is the back, if your design has letters you need to mirror the image for printing.
Here are the two files one is exactly the same as the butterfly and flower above and one is a simpler version of 3 butterflies and 3 flowers. I hope that you share your finished craft with me!
Carolyn