Last week, I got to spend some time at the Detroit Public Library’s HYPE (Helping Young People Excel) Center. The staff and students at HYPE tend to be makers at heart, so I’ve gotten to know them over the years thanks to Handmade Detroit and Maker Faire Detroit. The center is the teen section of the library, but also offers a social space to hang out after school and on the weekends, extracurricular activities, and an ever-growing hackerspace. The center is always offering something crafty to do, and this time around we were focused on making holiday cards. That was, until member Ben showed me his technique for classic paper-cut ornaments that I had to share back here at Make It.
Materials
- 12″ x12″ (scrapbook size) cardstock
- Scissors
- Tape
Instructions
| 1. Start out by folding one corner of your paper to the opposite corner to make a triangle. |
| 2. Next, fold the triangle in half once again. |
| 3. To start cutting the triangle, cut on the double-folded edge. Cut almost to the edge of the paper. |
| 4. Continue cutting all the way down the triangle – the space you leave in between cuts is up to you. |
| 5. Once you’re done cutting, open up the triangle so that it’s a square again. |
| 6. To create the shape, fold the center cuts up and tape together. Repeat for each pair of cuts, alternating sides (flipping the piece back and forth as you work). |
| 7. When you’re done creating a few ornaments, hang them up or string multiple creations onto a piece of ribbon or string for garland. |
