piece of paper in a continuous design although the paper can be folded one to three times for repeats in the overall pattern. The earliest forms came to American in the late 18th century and are found on birth certificates and Valentines. Scherenschnitte — German
Share-en-schnit—ta
Can Do Crafts — Scherenschnitte by Carol Behrer
Scherenschnitte, which literally means “scissors cutting” in German, was derived from the Swiss-German technique of cutting one piece of paper in a continuous design although the paper can be folded one to three times for repeats in the overall pattern. The earliest forms came to American in the late 18th century and are found on birth certificates and Valentines.
Scherenschnitte was frequently a pastime for children who made snowflake decorations and embellished Valentines. Larger cutwork pieces were framed for wall decorations.
Very small scissors are used to cut the paper, although history tells us that sheep shearing shears were used in the very early days.
Many styles of cutting paper are found in different countries.
2000 Design Originals by Suzanne McNeill, 2425 Cullen St. Fort Worth, Texas 76197
Courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society