If you like to be engaged in art and are constantly looking for new ideas, pay attention to such a direction as silhouette paper cutting. The product is an image obtained from a sheet, which is usually superimposed on a plain background. Complex work gives the impression of a filigree thing, thin lace. In this way, panels on the wall, decorations for windows, cards and other decor items and souvenirs are made.
Materials and Tools
To master silhouette carving, you will only need patience and perseverance. Of the accessories you need the following:
- Sheets of thin paper (plain white or some decorative - with texture, pearlescent shade or other interesting effect).
- Template.
- A carbon copy or other device for transferring contours to a sheet.
- Pencil.
- Manicure scissors with sharp, not curved tips.
- A sharp clerical knife.
- Substrate (wood, cardboard, plastic, linoleum).
- For children's creativity, curly hole punchers are used.
If you know how to draw, you can create a blank yourself, if not, download and print the template from the Internet. In any case, nothing special is required. From the cheapest materials you can make a real work of art.
Work technology
Even a child of 5-6 years of age who has learned how to handle scissors correctly can master silhouette carving. It is better when work is carried out together with an adult. Parents can do the same thing at the same time, only using more complex patterns.
A simple version of the technique consists of the following steps:
- Prepare a picture with a contour pattern.
- Translate the line drawing to your sheet. This can be done with the help of carbon paper, through glass or even with a simple pencil, which surrounds the drawing placed on your sheet for cutting. In this case, the back side of the sheet with the template should be previously shaded with a soft pencil. When you circle the pattern on the front side, from the turn, the particles of graphite from pressure will go to the substrate.
- Take the scissors and start cutting from large elements, piercing the middle of the form, and then moving to the edge and along the contour. The ends of the scissors should not close, otherwise ugly notches will turn out. The outline will look messy.
- You can take advantage of curly hole punchers, cutting through ornaments with them.
- Some schemes involve folding. Perform this operation, if provided.
- Place and gently glue the product on the background. Ideally, the work should be such that if you take it by one corner, it does not fall apart.
The process itself is important for children's creativity, as it contributes to the development of fine motor skills, accustoms to accuracy, disciplines, develops perseverance. Pay attention to safety precautions when working with a child with a pricking and cutting tool. Always remind yourself of precautions.
New Year theme carving
If you have never been involved in such creativity, you can start doing it in order to create spectacular holiday souvenirs for the New Year. This technique is very relevant in the manufacture of winter-themed souvenirs, as the products resemble fancy frosty patterns, fabulous designs made of snow or ice.
Silhouette carving on a New Year's theme should be performed using a more sophisticated technology than the one described above. Here you will get more complex fishnet things. The work is similar, only a sharp clerical knife is used instead of scissors , and the base is laid on a solid substrate made of wood, plastic, linoleum or cardboard.
Decor Ideas
For the New Year holidays, you can make the following decorations in this technique:
- Christmas decorations.
- Garlands.
- Patterns for glasses, mirrors.
- Postcards.
- Dressed up miniature Christmas trees.
- Themed panels.
- Decorations for gift wrapping, interior, holiday table.
For other holidays, it is also easy to come up with spectacular souvenirs. One has only to change the color of the paper from white to pink and you can easily perform a Valentine card. A golden leaf will make an excellent birthday present, yellow or green - for the spring holiday. The main thing is to choose a suitable plot, a shade of the background and the blank itself for cutting.
Silhouette carving (patterns)
Of course, you can easily download any templates on the Internet, however, you should figure out in advance which option is best to choose. If you are a beginner, use only simple compositions with fairly large slotted elements. When working with scissors, it is very difficult to perform thin parts. If you have already mastered silhouette carving at least a little, pictures can become more complicated. The main thing is that you have the patience. Do not be discouraged if something breaks and is damaged or you accidentally cut the wrong part. Paper is a material that can always be glued.
As you can see, silhouette carving is a very unusual and interesting technique that both a child and an adult can master. Organize an interesting version of family creativity: create souvenirs, gifts, interior decor yourself and with your children.