Sunday, October 19, 2014

Finding Scherenschnitte Patterns and Templates Online

Anyone who knows me, is aware that I have a thing for paper, and that I've got it bad. I'm a huge fan of origami, making paper beads is sort of an obsession, and a few years ago, I discovered Scherenschnitte, a traditional German paper cutting craft.

I won't get into an explanation of the craft here, there are plenty of sources online for that, and you could easily spend an entire day trolling Pinterest looking at images like this one:


The pin doesn't take you directly to the post for this image, so I'm not including it, but here's the link to the Keeper of Tradition blog article, Falling Between the Cracks:
http://blog.massfolkarts.org/blog/index.php/2009/05/falling-between-the-cracks/

As the great migration continues, I have two Helium articles related to this topic to share. The first, which you'll find below, is about where to find Scherenschnitte patterns online. The second is a book review of The Paper Cut-Out Design Book, a wonderful resource on traditional papercuts, by Ramona Jablonski.

Originally published in July of 2010, here it is...

Where to Find Scherenschnitte Patterns Online


Scherenschnitte is the German folk art of paper cutting that can be used to create beautiful and sometimes elaborate designs in paper. These designs can be cut from either a flat or folded piece of paper to achieve everything from intricate silhouettes and stencils to pretty snowflakes and doilies. 
Just about any type of paper can be used to create Scherenschnitte designs. Many people have probably folded paper to cut and make a Valentine in elementary school, or even a snowflake, without realizing the simple craft had origins in Germany and has been practiced for hundreds of years. 
Similar paper cutting craft traditions exist in other countries as well, including China, Mexico and Poland. These designs require a little time and patience to execute but they are well worth the effort it takes.
Creating folded Scherenschnitte paper cuts such as snowflakes only requires paper, scissors and a design.  You can use embroidery or manicure scissors or purchase scissors sold specifically for creating Scherenschnitte.  Detailed designs such as silhouettes and stencils may additionally require a craft knife and mat to complete.
The following is a list of web sites that contain how to instructions and patterns for creating Scherenschnitte paper projects:
On this site you’ll find a set of step by step instructions on how to create Scherenschnitte projects with a design template: How to Do Scherenschnitte Paper Cutting
Here you’ll find a cute design, pattern and video with a brief explanation and demonstration for cutting the design: How To Scherenschnitte
The following site uses rubber stamps to create Scherenschnitte designs: Technique: Scherenschnitte with Your Stamps
This blog entry from Maggiecat shares a set of vintage Scherenschnitte designs for Christmas papercuts: Meggiecat: Christmas Papercuts/Scherenschnitte Patterns
Here you will find step by step instructions for cutting a heart shaped Scherenschnitte Valentine:How to Cut a Heart-Shaped Scherenschnitte Valentine
The following is a Scherenschnitte lesson plan for use with high school students: Scherenschnitte/Silhouettes
On this site you’ll find step by step instructions for creating a Scherenschnitte Wedding Certificate: How to Make a Wedding Certificate by Scherenschnitte or Paper cutting Crafting
Here you will find a variety of Scherenschnitte templates available for purchase: Papercutting Frames
Scherenschnitte is a beautiful paper craft with a very long history. It is ideal for scrapbooking and card making, and can stand alone on its own for matting and framing.
I have painstakingly checked each link and updated where necessary. Unfortunately, a few of the links in the original article were for pages that no longer exist. The good news is, that with Pinterest it's easy to find new resources for templates and tutorials. (Check out the link below to see what I've already pinned.)

My papercraft pinboard: For the Love of Paper

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