![[Early Childhood Education] Paper-Cutting Ideas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fNBaRsnmojQ/hqdefault.jpg)
Here are some papercutting ideas for preschoolers.
When papercutting designs get intricate, you typically use a craft knife, but this time we’ve gathered scissor-only ideas that even young children can try.
There are plenty of ideas you can use for craft time or wall decorations, like flowers, butterflies, and animals.
First, try papercutting projects that use only straight lines.
Have an adult draw the guide lines.
Let the children cut along them as scissor practice.
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[Childcare] Paper-cutting ideas (1–10)
Snowflakes
Paper snowflakes are perfect for winter decorations.
Use white or silver paper and let’s get crafting.
Fold the paper several times and make random cuts.
The key is not to plan the cuts too much.
It might be better to skip drawing guide lines and let the kids cut freely.
By making freeform cuts, each snowflake will have its own unique character.
Also, you don’t have to stick to square paper—using circles you’ve cut out is a great option too.
Make a variety of snowflakes and bring winter into your room!
clover
Clovers are often seen in many places like parks and along roads.
There’s even a saying that if you find a four-leaf clover, you’ll be happy.
Let’s make a clover that brings that happy feeling.
Fold a piece of paper into a square twice and into a triangle once.
Then, to create the clover’s rounded leaf shape, cut small rounded curves along the edges.
Open it up, and your clover is complete! It’s easy to use as decoration in any season, so if you’re ever stuck for a craft activity idea, give this a try.
flower(s)
Let’s enjoy making flower kirie (papercut art) with construction paper.
Fold the paper and cut it according to the steps to create a flower shape.
Use pens to freely draw on your flower.
After folding the petals and smoothing them with your hands like an iron, float the flower in a basin filled with water.
If you watch closely, you’ll see the petals gradually open.
This papercraft isn’t just fun to make—it’s also delightful to watch children’s reactions.
Divide into small groups so everyone can focus.
It’s a fun idea that makes you excited to see what kinds of flowers will bloom.
dandelion
Dandelions are cute yellow flowers that you often see from spring to summer.
Because they have many small, delicate petals, they may look complicated at first, but by folding the paper several times and then making cuts, you can create an adorable dandelion flower.
Fold the paper into a square twice, then into a triangle once, and keep folding the open sections back outward on both the front and back to make the paper long and narrow.
Once you’ve folded enough, make cuts so that, when opened, petal shapes like a dandelion appear.
After making the cuts, open it up—and your dandelion is complete! Try using it as part of a wall decoration.
butterfly
Let’s make a butterfly fluttering around flowers.
Since a butterfly’s body is symmetrical, it’s better to fold the paper in half and cut than to cut the shape as is.
Fold the paper in half and use the fold as the center of the butterfly’s body, then cut out half of the body shape from there.
When you open it up, you’ll have a butterfly body with both left and right sides matching.
If you want to add cutout patterns, make small cuts while the paper is still folded after you’ve cut the overall shape.
Rounded wing shapes are nice, but for children who aren’t yet comfortable using scissors, making the wings a bit angular will make them easier to cut.
Christmas tree
During the Christmas season, why not try making a paper cutout of a Christmas tree? Since a Christmas tree can appear symmetrical, it’s recommended to fold the paper in half and use the crease as the center of the tree, then cut outward to create the tree’s jagged edges.
Also, if you fold the paper into smaller sections and make similar cuts, you can create a cutout that looks like multiple Christmas trees linked together.
You can stick the finished trees directly on the wall, or decorate them first with ornaments drawn with pens or added with stickers before displaying them.
heart
You can make a single heart or two connected hearts using origami.
By changing how you fold the paper at the start, you can create different versions, making this a great activity when you want to make many or have kids enjoy it.
For a single heart, cut the origami paper in half and trim it into a heart shape.
For two connected hearts, fold both ends toward the center of the paper, make a mountain fold along the center, then cut out a heart shape to finish! They look cute in various colors, too.
It’s also a nice way to have kids help decorate the room.