By Show Me Step by StepPublished
Based on a video by Created By Gwen.
Fussy cutting means cutting printed shapes out of patterned paper by hand, close to the edge of the design, so a flower or butterfly on a sheet becomes a loose embellishment. Gwen from Created By Gwen cuts florals, butterflies and pocket page card elements from a Cocoa Vanilla Studio collection and shares the habits that make her edges smooth.
It is slow, relaxing work. Gwen does it in batches while watching TV.
Embellishment packs are expensive. A sheet of patterned paper costs a couple of dollars and can give you fifty pieces of ephemera that match the rest of your collection. Fussy cut pieces also let you build clusters on a scrapbook layout or card that a die cut pack cannot, because you choose exactly which elements to keep.
Small, sharp, pointed blades matter more than brand. Spring-loaded scissors open on their own after each cut, which saves your hand on long sessions. Non-stick blades help when you cut adhesive-backed paper. Keep these scissors for paper only. Kitchen jobs and tape dull them fast, and a dull blade chews the edge rather than slicing it. A small scissor sharpener keeps the edge keen between sessions.
There is a sweet spot. Very thin, floppy paper bends as you cut. Thick card stock, like pocket page cards, fights the blades. Standard patterned paper sits in the middle and is the easiest to learn on. Designs with a clear outline are easier than soft watercolour prints, where the edge fades out.
The same method works on anything printed or stamped. Stamp an image, colour it, let the ink dry fully, then cut it out with the same small scissors. Wet ink smears onto the blades and onto your fingers.
Leaving a thin white margin around each piece is far easier than cutting right on the printed line. It is a good choice for beginners, for anyone whose hands tire or ache, and for watercolour designs that need a defined edge. Start with a wide border and narrow it as your control improves. Match your die cuts: if they have a white edge, give your fussy cuts one too, or trim the die cuts so neither does.
Store the pieces by colour or theme in a zip bag or small box so they are ready when you sit down to make a page. Pop a few up on foam tape for dimension. New to page making? Start with how to scrapbook. Fussy cut florals also fill the pages of a junk journal and dress up a handmade card. If your hands need a break from scissors, a die cutting machine handles the repeat shapes.
10 steps · about 10 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Pick a pair of small, sharp scissors with pointed tips. Gwen uses Fiskars micro-tip scissors with a spring that pops the blades open after every cut, plus an EK Success pair she has used for years. The newer Fiskars pair has a non-stick coating on the blades. Keep these scissors for paper crafting only so they stay sharp.
Tip
Label your paper scissors or store them with your craft supplies so nobody borrows them for tape or packaging.
Run each blade through a small scissor sharpener a few times. Sharp blades slice cleanly around tight curves, and you can see the difference in the quality of the edge. Working with blunt scissors is no fun at all, and they tend to crush or fray thin paper rather than cutting it. A quick sharpen at the start of each session is enough.
Tip
If the paper starts to fold over the blade instead of cutting, it is time to sharpen.
Do not try to fussy cut straight from a full 12 by 12 sheet. It is big and awkward to turn. Cut loosely around the area you want, leaving plenty of paper around the design. Now you have a small piece that is easy to hold and rotate while you work in close.
Tip
Rough cut several sections at once, then fussy cut them all in one sitting.
Cut around the largest flowers first, staying close to the printed edge. Keep flowers that touch together as one piece. Gwen leaves two pink flowers joined, because you can always trim a piece smaller later but you cannot stick a flower back on once it is cut off. Big pieces give you more options when you build a layout.
Tip
Cut the outer shape first and leave the small gaps between leaves for last.
Hold the scissors still and feed the paper into them, turning it with your other hand as you go round a curve. Moving the paper gives a smooth, flowing edge on circles and petals. Moving the scissors gives choppy, angled cuts. Take your time. There is no prize for cutting fast, and speed comes naturally with practice.
Tip
Rest your elbows on the table. It steadies both hands on long cuts.
For easier cutting, leave a narrow white margin around each shape instead of cutting on the printed line. It is forgiving for beginners and kind to tired hands. It also defines soft watercolour designs that have no clear edge. Gwen cuts every butterfly from this sheet this way and uses them as die cut style embellishments.
Tip
Start with a wide border and make it thinner as your control improves.
Cut using the middle part of the blades and stop before the tips meet. If you close the scissors all the way at the end of each cut, the tips leave a tiny tear in the paper. It is hard to see on camera but obvious in real life. Short strokes from the centre of the blade give a clean, continuous edge.
Tip
Open the blades a little wider than you think you need and take short bites.
Pocket page cards from a paper collection are full of small printed icons, word strips and labels. Even if you do not make pocket pages, cut these out and use them as embellishments. Here Gwen trims a rainbow tab strip that reads the stories we tell become our history. Cut slowly around each tab.
Tip
Keep the matching card collection with your patterned paper so every piece coordinates.
Pocket page cards are thicker than patterned paper, so they need a bit more care. Cut around the heart in short strokes and keep turning the card rather than forcing the blades. Thick card can push the scissors off your line. With practice you will find the papers that sit in the sweet spot for fussy cutting and seek them out.
Tip
On thick card, cut a little outside the line first, then take a second pass to trim close.
Bring your pieces together. Tuck fussy cut flowers and leaves behind the heart, add a butterfly, and shift them around until the cluster feels balanced. Pop some pieces up on foam tape for depth. One sheet of patterned paper can give you dozens of pieces to mix and match on layouts and cards.
Tip
Arrange the cluster before you glue anything. Take a phone photo so you can rebuild it.
Keep going
How to Make a Paper Rosette Scrapbook Layout
10 steps · about 9 minutes
How to Fussy Cut Patterned Paper
E6000
E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
The industrial-strength craft glue that bonds glass, wood, ceramic, metal, fabric, and concrete. The one adhesive most craft projects reach for.
Gorilla
Gorilla Dual-Temp Full-Size Hot Glue Gun
Dual-temp so it handles delicate florals and heavy materials alike. A precise nozzle and built-in stand make it the everyday craft-table gun.
OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
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