Silhouette carving: create your own gifts

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

If you love to do 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 works give the impression of a filigree thing, fine lace. In this way, wall panels, window decorations, postcards and other decor items and souvenirs are made.

Materials and tools

To master the silhouette carving, you will basically need only patience and perseverance. From the accessories you need the following:

• Sheets of thin paper (plain white or some kind of decorative paper - with texture, pearlescent tint or other interesting effect).
• Template.
• Carbon paper or other device for transferring contours to a sheet.
• Pencil.
• Manicure scissors with sharp non-curved tips.
• Sharp stationery knife.
• Substrate (wood, cardboard, plastic, linoleum).
• Curly hole punches are used for children's creativity.

If you can draw, you cancreate it 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.

Technology of work

Even a child of 5-6 years of age who has learned how to properly handle scissors can master silhouette cutting. It is better when the work is done together with an adult. Parents can do the same thing in parallel, only using more complex templates.

A simple version of the technique consists of the following steps:

1. Prepare a picture with an outline drawing.
2. Translate the line drawing onto your sheet. This can be done with a carbon paper, through glass, or even with an ordinary simple pencil, which circles the drawing laid on your sheet for cutting out. In this case, the reverse side of the sheet with the template should first be shaded with a soft pencil. When you trace the pattern from the front side, from the back, the graphite particles from the pressure will go to the substrate.
3. Take your scissors and start cutting from large pieces, piercing through the middle of the shape and then moving towards the edge and along the outline. The ends of the scissors should not close, otherwise you will get ugly notches. The outline will look sloppy.
4. You can use curly hole punches to cut through ornaments.
5. Some schemes involve folding. Perform this operation if available.
6. Apply and gently stick the product on the background. Ideallythe 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 promotes the development of fine motor skills, teaches accuracy, disciplines, and develops perseverance. Pay attention to safety precautions when working with a piercing and cutting tool. Always be reminded to take precautions.

Silhouette carving on New Year theme

If you have never done this kind of art, you can start doing it in order to create spectacular holiday souvenirs for the New Year. This technique is very relevant when making winter-themed souvenirs, as the products resemble bizarre frosty patterns, fabulous designs made of snow or ice.

Silhouette carving on a New Year's theme should be performed using a more complex technology than the one described above. Here you will get more complex openwork things. The work goes on similarly, 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 using this technique:

• Christmas toys.
• Garlands.
• Patterns for glasses, mirrors.
• Postcards.
• Decorated miniature Christmas trees.
• Thematic panels.
• Decorations for gift wrapping, interior, festive table.

It's also easy for other holidayscome up with spectacular souvenirs. One has only to change the color of the paper from white to pink and you can easily make a Valentine. A golden leaf will make a great birthday present, a yellow or green leaf will make a great gift for the spring holiday. The main thing is to choose the right plot, background shade and the cutting blank itself.

Silhouette cutting (scheme)

Of course, you can easily download any templates on the Internet, however, you should figure out in advance which option is better 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 make fine details. If you have already mastered at least a little silhouette cutting, pictures can become more difficult. The main thing is that you have enough patience. Don't be discouraged if something breaks or gets damaged, or if you accidentally cut the wrong part. Paper is a material that can always be glued together.

As you can see, silhouette cutting is a very unusual and interesting technique that both a child and an adult can master. Organize an interesting option for family creativity: create souvenirs, gifts, interior decor yourself and with your children.