Papercut Art

Although it's an old art form found in most cultures (known in German-speaking countries as Scherenschnitte, for example), papercut art seems to be enjoying a revival with young artists. We purchased a piece a few years ago and were blown away by the intricate cutting and design. We were also pleasantly surprised at how affordable an original piece can be.

We rounded up some of our favorites for kids and families above, but look around for something that appeals to you. We found almost all of these on Etsy and most of these artists have tons and tons of different designs to choose from. Many will also happily do custom work if you have something special in mind.

FIRST ROW

• 1 Valentine or First Anniversary Papercut (with up to five custom silhouettes) by Paper Cuts by Joe ($75)

• 2 Swing Papercut by Paper Cut Die Cut ($30)

• 3 Sweet Dreams Bunnies (will customize with child's name for $2 extra) by My Serenity Way ($15)

• 4 Peter Pan Papercut by Tina Tarnoff ($85)

• 5 A Warm Bird Family Papercut by Swipxa ($35)

SECOND ROW

• 6 Playing Papercut by Paper Cut Die Cut ($15)

• 7 Where There is Love There is No Darkness Papercut by Julene ($65). She also does amazing commissioned work - check her out.

• 8 Custom Family Papercut by Jenny Lee Fowler ($100)

• 9 Alice Papercut by mrYen ($17)

• 10 3D Butterflies in Shadowbox by My Serenity's Way ($28)

If you're interested in trying papercutting yourself, you might be interested in Paper Cuts: 35 Inventive Projects just released by Lark Books.

Comments (4)

my partner and i stumbled upon a paper cut artist a couple years ago at a holiday bazaar. we ended up with a lovey piece that shows a large tree with many small figures dancing and playing instruments for only $20, which we display against a light blue backdrop (the cut is in black).

If this is up your alley, and you are in New York, make sure to get to the new MAD Museum on Columbus Circle for "Slash: Paper Under the Knife."

It's nice to know that there is something affordable out there!

Here in Suisse Romande (the French part of Switzerland) it is also a traditional art, as well as in France's Haute Savoie. But here, even tiny pieces, e.g. 2" x 3" cost around $250. The big ones, with the impressive cow scenes, cost in the thousands... Did want to buy one because it is a local thing, but... can't afford to!

These are gorgeous! Paper cut art is my favorite pass time! http://www.etsy.com/shop/craftscafe?section_id=6733257 I recently learned about The Guild of American Papercutters - an organization open to artists, appreciators and collectors - a great resource!