Review: The Paper Cut-Out Design Book

As mentioned here previously, I have a great love for paper. Playing with paper is one of my favorite pastimes -- Paper clothes, paper beads, paper greetings, paper figures (origami)... Few things are more satisfying than taking a simple, ordinary piece of paper and turning it into something completely new.

In my previous post on Finding Scherenschnitte Patterns Online, I noted that shortly after falling in love with the traditional German paper cutting craft and writing the aforementioned article, I also did a book review that I published at Helium for Ramona Jablonski's The Paper Cut-Out Design Book. This coffee table book sized paperback volume is a paper lover's dream.

Looking at Ramona Jablonski's other books listed on Amazon, I can see I have some shopping to do in the not too distant future. Right after I go through all those boxes I took out of storage last year that are still stacked in the corner. Ah, where does the time go?

At any rate...

The Paper Cut-Out Design Book by Ramona Jablonski

The beauty and history of folk art paper cutting traditions is thoroughly and adeptly explored through four cultures in Ramona Jablonski’s The Paper Cut-Out Design Book from Stemmer House Publishers.

The book begins with a look into the history of paper cutting in China, which Jablonski notes dates back at least fifteen centuries (as of the book’s publication in 1976). She gives no official name for the Chinese craft, unlike the included traditions of Mon-Kiri (which later evolved to Kirigami), Scherenschnitte, and Wycinanki, which are Japanese, German and Polish traditions, respectively. (She briefly mentions Scherenschnitte being practiced in Switzerland as well.)

Examples of incredibly beautiful and delicate designs, intricately cut and resembling heavy line drawings, illustrate the pages throughout the book along with silhouettes, cut outs embellished by hand painting and carefully cut stencils used to embellish textiles.

Once readers have marveled over the illustrations and gleaned some of the history of this elegant folk art they can move on to learning the tools and techniques of the craft itself with the information given for working with both flat and folded papers.

Paper cutting enthusiasts can begin by trying their hand at a Chinese style flat paper design of a flower cut-out and then move on to German fold and cut techniques. Instructions for the German techniques (Scherenschnitte) begin with simple symmetrical designs that are achieved by folding a piece of paper in half. The book then moves on to show repeats in multiples of two from a fairly simple design where the motif is repeated four times to a more intricate one with the motif repeated sixty-four times for cuts resembling snowflakes and doilies.

Scrapbook enthusiasts and other paper craft hobbyists will find the border design and paper doll tutorials useful in creating embellishments for their layouts, while hard core admirers of paper cut design will appreciate the section on how to break down an existing design and find the repeat to copy the motif.

Jablonski shows readers step by step how to reproduce some of the classic designs displayed in the book and prepare them for mounting and framing. She also gives readers examples of how to use paper cuts for other crafting including needlework projects and includes a section on paper cutting with children.

The Paper Cut-Out Design Book is an excellent reference for historical information as well as design and cutting how-to, containing a wealth of information to enthrall, entice and inspire.

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

What to do With That Old Wall Calendar

Alas, Helium isn't the only content site to decide to shut down this year. Yahoo Voices (formerly Associated Content) announced recently that in a matter of weeks, it too would soon become a mere memory. This has left quite a lot of writers scrambling for something to do with previously published articles as well as the need for someplace new to publish to.

Having recently whittled down my many blogs, after the Helium announcement I created one more new one to which to share the multitude of articles that will no longer have a home and do not fit in to my Crafty Consideration, Of Wondering and Wandering, Notably Nola, Adventures in Wine Tasting, or To Dance Better Than Myself blog formats.

Who knows what the future holds for freelance writers and the publishing industry? This writer is at least getting off the content mills (they are ALL content mills, no matter how you dress them up) merry go round with high hopes for something better.

Here is the article formerly known as "Crafty Ideas for Repurposing Old Calendars:

If you are in the habit of buying photographic wall calendars with images of beautiful waterfalls, beaches, sunsets or reproductions of art work by famous artists, you will more than likely be hesitant to throw them away at the end of the year. The good news is you don't have to. They can easily be upcycled and turned into fashionably functional items that can be used for gift giving or to decorate your home.

One very easy thing to do with your calendars at the end of the year is to turn the images in them into simple wall art. There's really not much difference in the printing of the calendars and some posters that are sold commercially, only the calendars are much more economical. To turn the calendar images into wall art all you need to do is trim down any negative space, (if there is white or other colored space around the image) put the image inside a mat and frame and you have instant art.

Many art supply and craft stores have pre-cut mats in a variety of sizes that are sold for use with photographs and inexpensive prints. You can also find mats on occasion at the Dollar Store. These mats may not be acid free and therefore are not suitable for original art, but they are perfectly fine for your recycled calendar images. Place the matted image inside a frame from a discount or thrift store and you have instant wall art.

Even an inexpensive offset print can look like a piece of fine art when double matted and placed in a nice frame. It's all about the presentation. In a pinch you could also make your own mats by cutting posterboard with a craft knife, but this won't look as nice.

Another way to repurpose your pretty wall calendar at the end of the year is to make lidded origami gift boxes from it. There is a plethora of folding diagrams available online to make a variety of origami boxes that can be used for storing small items such as rings or used for eco-friendly gift wrapping.

Making rolled paper beads from the colorful calendar pages is fun and functional and the beads can be used to make jewelry, hair accessories, flowers, or even a beaded curtain. Making the beads is as simple as cutting the pages into long triangular strips and then rolling them onto a toothpick from the widest end and applying glue as you roll. The beads will be dry and ready to use after a few hours.

Calendars can also be re-used in art projects to create collages. Simply, rip, cut, or tear the pages to use them to create new art or use them as backgrounds. Cut yourself out of a photo and paste to a tropical paradise and it's a fantasy vacation come to life in 2D. You could have fun adding your own face to one of Degas' dancers or reinvent yourself as the Mona Lisa. The images from your calendars are also great for decoupage projects.

When friends and family come for a visit your cute and quirky homemade art projects will be the topic of many discussions. You may even get commissioned to create art projects for other people and, if done on a smaller scale, your creations could even be used as greeting cards. So instead of throwing out this year's wall calendar why not have a go at one of these projects and give it new purpose.

Author's footnote: I can't believe I didn't include iris folding as an option when I originally wrote this. Haven't heard of it? Look it up!