DIY Tutorial: Shadow Box Halloween Decoration

Looking for a unique Halloween decoration? A shadow box is a great way to create your own dimensional Halloween art. Using just layers of paper, you can create a spooky, ethereal scene, great for tabletop or window decor. The same idea can be used for any holiday theme!

Materials:
1. Paper or card stock. I used white card stock, black card stock, silver paper, white and red vellum, and dark blue paper for the background.
2. Shadow box frame.
3. Scissors or X-acto knife with #11 blades.
4. Self-healing mat or cardboard to cut on.
5. Ruler for cutting straight lines.
6. Tape and white glue.

To create your design, you need to plan out how many layers of paper you will use. You can draw your own design, find a design template, or cut out collage images to use. For my shadow box I drew a ghostly image of a mysterious woman amongst the trees. I drew the design on one piece of paper, and marked which parts will go on which layer. I used two layers of trees, the cloaked woman, a background layer, and some separate pieces of vellum to create an effect of mist.

Open your shadow box and measure the inside of the frame. This is the size of your image, but leave some extra room on top and bottom to create a folded flap that you can tape or glue to the sides of the frame. Cut out each layer, leaving a flap on each one. You will cut the flaps down to fit into the box, depending on where your layer sits. You can use an x-acto knife or scissors, making small, slow cuts with a sharp blade. Vellum is usually easier to cut with scissors, but a sharp blade will also work.

I attached the white tree layer first, and added the woman behind them, attaching her to the bottom. The silver trees were spaced behind her. Behind the trees, I added a piece of vellum on the bottom. For the background layer, I attached it to the top of the frame, and left some space open at the bottom to let light in. I cut spaces out of the paper and glued a vellum moon and some more layers of mist onto it. Use a toothpick to apply small amounts of regular white glue, or attach small bits of double sided tape. The vellum adds a nice glow when placed near any light source, and I left the back of the frame open to let the light in. You can protect the back of the frame with a piece of clear acetate or Plexiglas.

The effect this creates is of a mysterious, misty forest, using only paper, light, and the depth of the shadow box. The design options are endless to make your own art and dioramas. You can experiment with different papers and vellum, and also add in 3 dimensional objects. Have fun and a Happy Halloween!

Arwen from Arwen Designs

Craft DIY: 6 Pointed Snowflake Tutorial

Today we have a great tutorial from Arwen from Arwen Designs - who specializes in making greeting cards using paper cut art.  Hope you enjoy it!

Making cut paper snowflakes is a fun winter activity, and a great craft that kids and adults alike will enjoy. They look great lining your window as holiday decorations, or even framed on your wall. Part of the fun is seeing how they will come out. Just like real snowflakes, no two are ever quite the same! Here is a tutorial for making a 6 pointed snowflake, which looks more natural because that is how snowflakes are actually formed.

Materials:

1. Paper. The paper I used is regular white 8.5” x 11” printer paper, which is cost effective and readily available. You can also try all sorts of colorful papers, including scrapbook papers and even gift wrap. Thin papers will be easier to cut through with scissors.

2. Scissors. I used regular household scissors, with a fairly sharp blade. Scissors with a very small sharp blade, like nail scissors, would enable more delicate cuts.   Take the sheet of paper and fold it over to make a triangle (A). Cut off the excess. This basically makes it a square, if you are starting off with a square sheet, you can just fold it over. Now fold it over again to make a smaller triangle (B).

Re-open the fold you just made, and now comes the tricky part. You have to fold it into thirds so it looks like (C). Fold over onto itself from the left and right sides, using the middle fold line as sort of a guideline. The three sections should be as even as you can get them. Now fold this whole piece in half, so it looks like (D).

Take your scissors and cut the top off at an angle so it looks like (E). The angle can vary, it just has to cut off all uneven edges.

Now you are ready to cut out your design (F)! The bottom point will be the center of the snowflake. You will want to cut away a lot of the paper, and not leave any areas too thick or the snowflake will look blocky. The last photo shows how this design looks unfolded. As you experiment, you will get used to how the cuts will look when the snowflake is opened, and where you want to cut away more and less paper.

There are many creative ways to use your designs. One way I’ve used them is to integrate snowflakes into my cut paper art. I scan them into the computer along with my artwork, and work with them in Photoshop. Here is an example: http://www.artistrising.com/products/612278/Winter-Love.htm

So when the snow starts falling outside, grab some paper and scissors, and have fun!

Hanging Paper Lantern / Luminary Tutorial

Paper lanterns or luminaries are simple and elegant, and are a great addition to parties and weddings, or as decorations around the home. You can make your own paper lantern with a few simple materials. Here is a tutorial for a small luminary, using one of my Halloween designs.

Materials:
1. Paper. The paper I used is black cardstock and gold vellum. Cardstock comes in many colors and textures. The translucent vellum is what diffuses the light and makes the lantern glow. You can use any color vellum, just keep in mind what color your tea light is, as it will affect the look of the vellum.
2. X-acto knife with #11 blades.
3. Self-healing mat or cardboard to cut on.
4. Ruler for cutting straight lines.
5. Double sided tape or glue dots, double sided foam tape.
6. Battery operated tea light.
7. Ribbon.

You can refer to my tutorial for Cut Paper Silhouettes for ideas on finding a design and transferring it to paper.  For black cardstock, I would use the method of laying a print of the design on top of your cardstock, and cutting through both layers. Another method is to use transfer or carbon paper to trace the design onto the cardstock.

Measure the width of your tea light, then add a little extra space. This is the width of your bottom piece. I used a standard tea light, and made the bottom 2” wide. Then measure an equal distance on either side. I used an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper for the whole design, cut in half, so that the whole piece laid flat measures 11” x 4.25”.

Transfer your design onto the cardstock. To make a double sided lantern as shown, you will need to flip or reverse the design on the other side (like a mirror image). Make sure your design leaves enough of a border so that the cardstock will be sturdy. Too thin of border will make it weak once everything is cut out. On the top of each side, I added a small handle with a hole for ribbon to go through. This was added in the design, so it is all cut out of one piece of paper.

Cut the design out with your x-acto knife, on your self-healing mat. Make slow, small cuts, and make sure your blade is sharp. Since cardstock is thick, you may have to go over some lines more than once, especially any corners. Score lines to fold where you measured your bottom 2” area, and fold the sides up. The picture shows how it looks once the two sides are cut out, and the lines are scored.

Cut out two pieces of your vellum, slightly bigger than the opening of your design. Attach these inside using double sided tape or glue dots. Position your tea light on the bottom piece, and figure out where the on/off switch is. Cut a small hole in the bottom so that you can reach the switch. Attach the tea light to the bottom with double sided foam tape.

Attach the paper together at the top with tape or glue dots, and tie a ribbon or cord through the hole. Turn on the light and enjoy your creation! You can sit this on a table or hang it from the ribbon. Hang a row of lights in a darkened room to create a magical atmosphere!

The luminary pictured here is available in my Etsy store.

Arwen from Arwen Designs

Cut Paper Silhouette Tutorial

Today we have a great tutorial from Arwen from Arwen Designs - who specializes in making greeting cards using paper cut art.  Hope you enjoy it!

Paper Cutting or Silhouette Art is a beautiful art form using the contrast of dark and light, shadows and illumination. It has many traditional names, including Scherenschnitte in Germany, Wycinanki in Poland, and Kiri-e in Japan. The name silhouette came from Etienne de Silhouette of France, and cut paper portraits were popular in Europe and America in the 1700's.

You can make your own paper art with just a few simple materials. It takes a lot of time and patience, but the end result will be worth it! I have included some photos showing the process I use to create my art, using an illustration of the Goddess Ereshkigal I did for a forthcoming issue of Mythic Delirium magazine.

            
             Materials:

1.     Paper. One of the great things about paper cutting is that you can use all sorts of paper, and part of the fun is experimenting with it.  You can practice on regular printer paper, and then try different scrapbooking papers, art papers or anything you find. You want a paper that is thin enough to be able to manipulate, but not so thin that it will tear. I like to use black silhouette paper, which is coated with a nice matte black on one side and white on the other.

2. X-acto knife with #11 blades.

3. Self-healing mat or cardboard to cut on.

4. Ruler for cutting straight lines.

Finding a Design:

            It’s best to start with a simple design, and then work your way up to something more complex. There are many places to find templates that can be transferred to paper. One website I use for supplies is www.papercuttingsbyalison.com, they have all the supplies you need and also sell many templates. If you want to draw your own designs, practice and study how all the lines connect and how negative space is used.

Transferring to Paper:

            You can buy commercial templates that already have the design printed on the paper for you. If you need to copy it onto the paper, there are two methods that I use. Shown in the photo is the black silhouette paper, with my sketch printed directly onto the white backside. I scanned in my sketch and printed it out. If you are printing on the back of the paper, make sure to flip or reverse the image before you print it. That way it will show up the right way on the front (the black side) when it is cut out.

Some paper is too light or too dark to print on, and the ink will show through or not show up at all. You can print or copy your design on thin regular paper, place it on top of the paper you are cutting on (on the front, do not reverse the image for this method), and tape it in place with small pieces of tape. Then you cut through both layers.

Cutting it Out:

            Make slow, small cuts, and always use a sharp blade. When the blade starts to catch too much on the paper, it is time to change it. The second photo shows the paper cut in progress, with sections cut out of the back of the paper. I use my sketch as a guideline, and make small adjustments as I go. If you’re using a template, the lines to follow will be clear and defined. I turn the paper over or pick my work up occasionally to see how it’s progressing. It helps to hold it up to a light source (carefully) so you can see all the edges more easily. When you’re done, sit back and admire your work!