Silhouette carving: create gifts yourself

If you like to engage in artistic creativity and constantly look for new ideas, pay attention to the direction, like a silhouette cut out of paper. The product is a picture obtained from a sheet, which is usually superimposed on a monophonic background. Complex work produces the impression of a filigree thing, thin lace. In this way they perform a panel on the wall, decorations for windows, postcards and other decor items and souvenirs.

Materials and Tools

To master the silhouette carving it will take basically only patience and perseverance. Of the accessories you need the following:

• Sheets of thin paper (usual white or some decorative - with texture, pearl shade or other interesting effect).
• Template.
• Copier or other device for transferring contours to a sheet.
• Pencil.
• Manicure scissors with sharp not bent tips.
• Sharp clerical knife.
• Substrate (wood, cardboard, plastic, linoleum).
• For children's creativity, figured punchers are used.

If you can draw, you can create a workpiece 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 can learn how to handle scissors correctly will be able to master the silhouette excision. It is better when the work is carried out together with an adult. Parents can work in parallel in the same way, only using more complex patterns.

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

1. Prepare a picture with a contour pattern.
2. Translate the line drawing onto your sheet. This can be done with a copy, through the glass or even with a simple simple pencil, which is drawn around the picture placed on your sheet for cutting out. In this case, the reverse side of the sheet with the template should be shaded with a soft pencil. When you draw a pattern from the front side, the particles of graphite will be moved from the pressure by pressing to the substrate.
3. Take the scissors and begin to cut from the large elements, piercing the middle of the shape, and then moving to the edge and along the contour. The ends of scissors should not be closed, otherwise ugly jags will be obtained. The outline will look messy.
4. You can use the figured punchers, cutting them with ornaments.
5. Some schemes involve folding. Perform this operation if it is provided.
6. Apply and carefully glue the product on the background. Ideally, the work should be such that if you take it in 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, accustoms to accuracy, disciplines, develops assiduity. Pay attention to the safety when working with a piercing-cutting tool. Always remind me of precautionary measures.

Silhouette carving on a New Year theme

If you have never engaged in such creativity, you can start doing this in order to create spectacular festive souvenirs for the New Year. This technique is very relevant in the production of winter theme souvenirs, because the products resemble fancy frosty patterns, fabulous designs of snow or ice.

Silhouetted carving on a New Year theme should be performed on a more sophisticated technology than the one described above. Here you will get more complicated fishnet things. The work is similar, but instead of scissors, a sharp clerical knife is used, and the base is laid on a solid substrate of wood, plastic, linoleum or cardboard.

Decor ideas

For New Year's holidays, you can make the following decorations in this technique:

• Christmas decorations.
• Garlands.
• Patterns for glass, mirrors.
• Postcards.
• Dressed miniature Christmas trees.
• Thematic panels.
• Decorations for gift packaging, interior, festive table.

To other holidays it is also not difficult to think up spectacular souvenirs. It is only necessary to change the color of the paper from white to pink and you can easily perform a valentine. From a golden leaf you will get a great gift for Birthday, from yellow or green - to a spring holiday. The main thing is to choose a suitable plot, background shade and the cut itself.

Silhouette cutting (outline)

Of course, any templates you can easily download on the Internet, however, it is worthwhile to understand in advance which option is better to choose. If you are a beginner, use only simple compositions with large enough slots. When working with scissors it is very difficult to perform fine details. If you already have at least a little mastered the silhouette excision, the pictures can become more complicated. The main thing is that you have enough patience. Do not be discouraged if something breaks and gets damaged or you accidentally cut out the wrong part. Paper is a material that can always be glued together.

As you can see, a silhouette carving is a very unusual and interesting technique that a child and an adult can master. Organize an interesting version of family creativity: create souvenirs, gifts, decor for the interior themselves and with the children.