Traditional Papercutting

Traditional European/Jewish silhouette papercutting, scherenschnitte, dates back hundreds of years, yet is still popular as it requires very few tools and no elaborate set up, other than a sharp pair of scissors. Yet, it can lead to elegant and complex creations...In this practical manual, a celebrated Swiss papercutting artist explains the basics, from selecting paper to holding the scissors, from planning your design to framing it effectively. Materials and tools; Basics of cutting; Cutting with a craft knife; Folded cutwork; Free form open cutting; Positive-negative cutwork; Coloured Scherenschnitte; Finishing touches; The history of the art