12 Paper Cutting Arts & Crafts Project Ideas

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Today I’m sharing my thoughts on 12 paper cutting craft projects in this sponsored post to give you a few ideas & a little inspiration for your next project.

Why Choose Paper Cutting Arts & Crafts?

Paper-cutting is a popular craft with a long history, and its versatility makes it so convenient for a range of arts and crafts projects. It’s fantastic for adults and children alike, with differing degrees of complexity for all skill levels and design preferences. Not only does paper cutting inspire creativity, it also allows children to develop their motor skills. For adults, it can be a relaxing form of stress relief, providing an outlet and means of self-expression as well as a sense of achievement.

For those with chronic illness and pain, arts and crafts are also a good distraction therapy and can be flexibly enjoyed whenever and however frequently or infrequently one is able to do them.

Paper cutting templates can be used for tracing or directly cutting out, which you can then decorate and use however you wish. Colour them to use as hanging decor, build them up into 3D art works, or create a collage, it’s totally up to you – let your creativity run free and your imagination have some fun! The end product could be for practical and useful purposes, as a gift, for entertainment or for decoration, there really are so many possibilities.

Getting To Grips With Paper Cutting Crafts

To make your project easier, you can get online paper-cutting templates with the designs pre-made and ready to use. Design Bundles have a range of options, with over 2,500 designs in their paper cutting range alone! With any design you pick, you’ll typically be sent a Zip file that you can download and unpack onto your computer, with the files containing different formats, like JPEG, PNG, SVG, DXF, EPS and PDF. This makes designs highly flexible for however you wish to use them, whether you cut them yourself or use them with a paper cutting machine.

It’s unsurprising that Design Bundles is such a popular brand, having amassed over 1 million users since its birth in 2016. You can find and save money on an array of digital products for all of your arts and crafts projects, including templates, graphics, craft files, mock ups and illustrations. There are over 150,000 marketplace digital products with excellent customer reviews to browse, sure to keep you busy and satiate your inner artiste. 

Here’s some inspiration to get you started on your next project.

Paper Cutting Arts & Crafts Ideas

1. Paper Links

You can use paper cuttings to make chains of objects, such as paper linked people holding hands, paper angels, heart chains or linked flowers. These would make a great garland at home, and you could do a themed bunting-style design for special occasions and events. 

2. Puppet Popsicles

Animal themed cut outs make great popsicle puppets. Take cuts of different critters and creatures, like cats, tigers and elephants, made from cardboard, then clue them to the end of ice lolly sticks. Children can put on a popsicle puppet theatre show! 

3. Labels

Labels not only look good, they’re also simple to cut and can be very practical. Adults might find these useful for organising the pantry, while children might like to make colourful labels for their toy boxes and school books. 

4. Layered Box Art

There are some beautiful prepared 3D paper-cutting templates for creations that can be built up into a three dimensional piece of art. Designs include the likes of mandalas, crosses, letters and butterflies that can be cut and placed in a frame or box. You could make an art piece, shadow box or light box, perfect for adding a dash of creativity to your home or giving as a gift.

5. Rainbow Window Decor

Rainbows have become synonymous with hope during the pandemic, having initially been used for giving thanks to the NHS. Brighten up your day and bring hope into your home by creating some rainbow decor using a Design Bundles paper cut template, with different rainbow and cloud cut-outs that can be used on the fridge, wall, window or anywhere you want to add touch of magic.

6. Paper Snowflakes

Snowflakes are beautiful in their intricacy and there are lots of pretty designs to choose from. They’re therapeutic to cut, delightful to look at, and they’re great for helping children hone their cutting skills and focus. 

7. Flower Pot Decorations

Flower pots can be a year-round focus of decoration, whether they’re outside in the summer or on the windowsill indoors in the cooler weather. Choose your design and make sure it’s the right size to fit the side of your flower pot. Colour and decorate as you wish, then glue it to the flower pot. If you’re growing seeds for flowers, fruits and veggies, or herbs, you could adapt the design to include the planting date.

8. Flower Sticks

You can utilise paper cutting designs for building up 3D flowers. Create your flower by layering paper or cardboard, bending at the edges to bring the flower to life and give it some depth. Get a stick, like a thin bamboo stick from the garden, a straw or a lollypop stick, and attach to the back of the flower head with tape. If you use a longer stick you could put the flower in a real plant pot out in the garden, or you can create a pot of paper flowers for the kitchen, which will be low-maintenance and allergy-free!

9. Photo Frames

Take any design you like with a large space in the centre that could accommodate an image, and use the cut out as a photo holder. You can pop these DIY photo frames on the fridge with a magnet, stick them on the wall with Blue Tack, or attach a perpendicular piece of cardboard to the back as a stand so it can have pride of place on your mantelpiece.

10. Hanging Mobiles

Mobiles are entertaining for babies and children, but they also make for mesmerising home decor. Create a hanging mobile of shapes, for instance with butterflies, by joining a few together horizontally and decorating as desired. Attach string to the top of the mobile and stick this to the ceiling where it can hang and twirl when the breeze catches it. Similarly, you could use a Design Bundles dreamcatcher template for making a card or fabric dreamcatcher to ensnare any impending nightmares.

11. Greetings Cards 

They say that it’s the thought that counts with gifting, and a handmade card can show the recipient how much you care with your thought and effort. You can make a 3D card design or use a DesignBundles template to make a pop-up card that will provide a little surprise when opened. A personalised card made with love will be sure to make your recipient smile.

12. Bookmarks

Bookmarks needn’t be boring and they needn’t be the typical rectangular shape either. Any cut out shapes, like stars, circles, sugar skulls, swirls or butterflies could make a beautiful bookmark. Cut them out on cardboard, or layer a few pieces of paper for reinforcement, and take your time colouring and decorating. It’s a great way to encourage the love of both crafts and reading in your children, allowing them to marvel at their creations while they read. For adults, both reading and crafting can be ideal for relaxation, distraction and escapism.  

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Do you find arts & crafts beneficial in some way? Have you tried any paper cutting crafts before, or is it something you’d like to try?

Caz  ♥

[ This is a sponsored post & advertisement feature written by myself. The opinions expressed here are my own ]