In high school I worked at a Polish import store that sold wycinanka, traditional paper cuts. I was told that these delicate constructions were cut with sheep shearing scissors. I have loved cut paper ever since then. Here are some examples of papercuts and some examples of scissors.
This Polish rooster is visiting with a Chinese bird and butterfly and with a rooster from Indonesia. Below are some Papel Picados from Mexico.
In the 1920’s and 1930’s Lotte Reiniger made animated movies out of cut paper silhouettes. Here is a link to one about Papageno.
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She cut with sharp knives, but I like to imagine her using these scissors:
Nikki McClure and Rob Ryan have done amazing work in recent years, such as this piece by Ryan.
Here is a medal for him.
Peter Callesen and Mia Pearlman have stretched the form. This dimensional whorl was made by Pearlman.
I have been snipping at paper for about 1o years and had a show of papercuts in 2006, which included Adam and Eve (5 feet tall),
and these smaller fruit pickers (10 inches tall).
I love the symmetry of traditional paper cuts, but illustrations for stories sometimes need unsymmetrical parts. Here is my illustration for the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.
and here is one for a juicy poem by Julie Larios.
Here is a celebration of bicycling and hats.
If you are interested in working with paper please take a look at the book Creating With Paper by Pauline Johnson and Hazel Koenig. It was first published in 1958 and it is still fresh.
To wrap things up here is a poem by David Mason, followed by two more Polish papercuts.
Ann Dalton
Bonny Becker
Julie Paschkis
Julie Larios
laurakvasnosky
Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Books Around The Table 
wonderful!
These are amazing! I can’t imagine the patience and engineering that goes into these cut paper pieces. LOVE the whorl and the orange peel piece. And the poem: “scissor your wishes” – sigh.
I love this post, Julie, AND your papercut turtle that keeps us company in our home! I also love Ashley Bryan’s BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD that is illustrated with papercuts he made with his mother’s sewing shears and scissors.
Very nice
Love seeing all these beautiful paper cut examples — love your bicycles and hats especially, and that poem is sublime. Thanks, Julie!
Really nice post!
Wow ! — Great Blog – Loved the images and remember your great Adam and Eve papercuts — Lots history in the paper / scissors art — and poem!!
This is great, Julie. And it’s so nice to see Hazel Koenig’s name in “print” again! I’ll look for the book.
Hazel is not actually listed as an author, but her hands, art and ideas are evident all through the book.
Fantastic paper cuts, just lovely
Wow Julie! Exquisite and lovely.
Beautiful and inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing – I just ordered the book, “Creating with Paper” – can’t wait to get snipping!
You have the perfect last name for this art form!
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What an amazing selection of examples of this challenging art form! It must take hour after patient, careful hour. The results are incredible.
I love paper cuts, especially Julie’s. I have read that wycinankas are traditionally glued to freshly white-washed walls in the spring and are replaced the following spring. So ephemeral!
I didn’t know that. I love that idea!
What a feast for the eyes! I use papel picados as valances on my kitchen & dining room windows & had to replace them so often as the tissue paper fades quickly. I found some plastic ones that while are not as delicate as still interesting & colorful