How to make a flat and three-dimensional application of colored paper, different kinds of applications and step-by-step photo creation of hand-made articles
One of the most wonderful options forcreation of crafts is paper. Appliques from colored paper can not only entertain children and contribute to their development. Beautiful paper crafts can easily become a room decoration or turn into a beautiful original postcard that will definitely please your loved ones. In this article, we will offer several options for crafts with appliques from colored paper. The term "applique" itself comes from the Latin application, which can be translated as "applying". This type of fine art is based on cutting out various details and fixing them on another material, which acts as a background. A little history Such a material for appliques as paper appeared a long time ago. But it began to be used as a component of this decorative and applied art only at the end of the 16th century. Rapid development occurred at the beginning of the next century. In France, a fashion for paper silhouettes arises. It spreads to other European countries and Russia. The walls of houses begin to be decorated with small portraits and scenes from life. The name silhouette crafts was given by Etienne Silhouette. This French official was very fond of paper applique, and one day the artist depicted a shadow caricature of him. From that moment on, this technique was called silhouette. In Russia, Count F.P. Tolstoy was known for his works in this type of applique. He created more than 2000 different images. In modern creativity, not only the silhouette technique is used. Plastic applique from crumpled paper, decoupage technique, quilling, cutting out according to a pattern, end-graining, creating volumetric crafts and much more will help to create original and unusual crafts that will definitely become a decoration of your life. Before you start creating crafts from colored paper in the form of appliques, you need to buy several simple but very necessary tools. The most important of them will be scissors. Be sure to sharp, so that the effect of a torn edge does not turn out on the blanks. Pay close attention to their handles. They must be convenient, since the cutting process is quite long and your hands should feel comfortable. The next thing is glue. This can be regular PVA glue, office glue stick or transparent gel glue. Different types will be needed for different compositions. Another important element will be a ruler. The best option is with ready-made templates for drawing circles, triangles and other figures. Any natural materials, glitter, beads, rhinestones, fabric fragments, anything that your imagination suggests can serve as additional decorative elements for your appliques. To begin with, let's consider, probably, the most famous craft - flat applique with floral motifs. Flat applique with flowersSuch a beautiful flower arrangement, for sureall the kids in kindergarten or elementary school tried to create. Even this simple composition can become a real work of art if you apply a little imagination and effort. You will need:
- Color paper (one-sided).
- Scissors.
- Glue.
- Cardboard.
- Pencils or markers.
In order for the flowers to be symmetrical andcarefully you need to fold the paper in half and draw half of the flower, using the fold line as the middle axis. Cut out the blank, open it and get a beautiful and even flower.You can change the shape of the same flower oruse the “spreading” method to diversify the options. It is very easy to do. Just cut the flower along the petals and spread them while gluing.If you need to cut out a flower with petals,arranged in a circle, then you just need to fold a square sheet of paper diagonally 3 times. And then cut out 1 petal from the blank. It can have rounded or, conversely, pointed edges. Or, if you want to depict a cornflower, you can cut out the teeth.Another option for cutting out severalpetals at the same time will be folding a sheet of paper like an accordion. You get individual petals, which can then be laid out in a circle and glued to a bright core.Below are the different options for creatingleaves and grass. Such crafts can be made together with children. The kids will be very happy to spread glue or artistically arrange paper blanks, creating amazing and incredible flowers. The following version of paper applique is suitable for either older children or adults. Volumetric flowers for appliqueSuch crafts can be attached to a postcard or made part of a decorative panel. You will need:
- Paper of different colors (two-sided). In this master class, black and white colors are used, but you, of course, will choose the shades that you like and will match the general style of the craft.
- Cardboard.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
- Elements for decoration (decorative buttons, rhinestones or half-beads).
Below are the petal templates. You can draw similar ones yourself, redraw them by placing a sheet of paper on the screen, or print the templates on a printer. The next step is to cut in all the parts.Experiment with paper. Take not just multi-colored, but, for example, embossed or just unusual texture. Don't just cut out the petals. You can make several cuts on each of them to make the flower more lush. Glue all the blanks strictly in the center, leaving the edges of the petals free. Glue a rhinestone or another bright detail of your choice in the middle.Now we can glue our blank inas an element of the applique on the postcard. Craftswomen who know how to handle different types of colored paper know and love the following technique for creating appliques from colored paper - end-graining. Volumetric lilies from colored paperYou will need:
- Color double-sided paper.
- Green cardboard for the basis of application.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
Cut out water lily (lotus) leaves from green cardboard. They are quite simple, but the template for cutting out the lily petals is unusual. The photo below shows the templates for the leaves and petals.For each flower you will need 1 leaf and 2-3petal blanks. Although the petal template has cut-out parts, you don't need to cut them out on the paper blanks. You just need to cut along the applied lines to the inner circle. Now take the petal blank and roll each of the cut parts into a cone. Glue the edges and get 1 layer of petals.When all the blanks are ready, we proceed tocreating flowers. And here it is possible to attach layers of petals. They can be glued on different sides (see photo). You can create as many as 4 versions of a water lily. Make two- and three-layer flowers. Arrange the tiers so that the petals are staggered relative to each other. You can also cut off the sharp ends of the cones and get an original and unusual flower.You can use the following as cores:pieces of yellow paper or glue ready-made stamens. And if you like not only to create paper crafts, but also to sew, then you can glue a piece of foam rubber in the middle and use the original volumetric applique as a pincushion. The next technique will also be volumetric. With its help, very beautiful and "fluffy" appliques are obtained. Sunflowers in the end-cutting technique For beautiful and original postcards in this technique, it is best to use colored corrugated paper or simply select very thin sheets. You will need:
- Colored paper (corrugated).
- Wooden skewers for shish kebab (thick).
- Glue (the pencil is the best choice).
- Cardboard basis for application.
- The ready template for the picture.
- Scissors.
Glue the colored base onto the cardboard to give it astrength. Now we get down to the paper. It needs to be cut into squares with a side of about 1 cm. You will need a lot of such blanks. The next step is to roll up the squares. To do this, take a skewer (you can get by with a regular ballpoint pen rod, but make sure it is used and does not spoil the paper with ink) place it in the center of the square and roll the paper around the skewer.Apply glue to the paper blank and attach itto the picture. It is best to start working in this technique from the center and move to the edges. First, we make the core from dark brown or black blanks. Then we start gluing the petals. At the end, greenery and the general background. You can make these crafts with your children.Ready-made colored pictures of the base will not let the kids make a mistake. You can also draw any image yourself, and turn on your imagination to make a truly original craft. Paper applications in the mosaic techniqueAnother option for paper appliquesis a mosaic. The art of creating images using tiny pieces of different colors appeared a long time ago. This word can be translated as "dedicated to the muses." The birthplace of this art is considered to be the East. The most ancient mosaic crafts that have survived to this day are Persian boxes. The heyday of this art form came during the era of the Byzantine Empire. In those days, mosaics were made from precious and semi-precious stones with a background, most often consisting of gold. Now, to make a beautiful mosaic applique, it is enough to have colored paper, cardboard for the background, glue and sharp scissors. The technique of work is very simple, even small children can handle it. Creating a craft will be much more fun if you act together with the kids. Working with small pieces of paper contributes to the development of fine motor skills of the child, which has a beneficial effect on the development of speech, memory, imagination and patience. The principle of work:
A variety of mosaic applique istear-off. Its principle is simple - instead of cutting the paper into pieces, it is torn. The fuzzy contours of the blanks give the feeling of blurred contours, which adds originality to the craft.Paper applications using quilling techniqueThis type combines paper rolling andmosaic technique. Quilling appeared a long time ago, but scientists still have not come to a consensus on where exactly this type of decorative and applied art came from. The word itself comes from the English "quill" - "bird feather". It was bird feathers that began to be used as the first tools for twisting paper strips. It was split into several centimeters, one end of the strip was inserted into this gap and twisted. For applique in this technique you will need:
- Color paper that you can cut into strips or you can purchase ready-made kvilling kits.
- Tweezers.
- PVA glue.
- A tool for twisting paper. If you purchased a special kit, then the tool is already there. Also, instead of it, you can use the notched rod from the ballpoint pen.
Below are the most popular elements used in the quilling technique.All that's left is to choose the paper colors you like and assemble the picture using the mosaic technique. Simply place the paper rolls along the marked lines or over the stencil.To make the applique truly creative, deviate from the rules, use different elements, and use your imagination.