Polish papercuts were used as home decorations, similar to Chinese "window flowers" and were glued on furniture, windows and walls. However, the cutting technique is very different. In some Polish designs, two pieces of paper are cut out together to form a symmetrical pattern. Other Polish designs are not symmetrical. However, on both, smaller motifs are superimposed on top of the base pattern. The designs are very colorful, and often black is used to set off the vibrant colors. Flowers and birds are traditional subjects.
Materials
Presentation: Flower
The child choose several different colored papers for her flower. Show her to fold the paper in half once. She may either sketch out or cut freehand the basic design for the flower stem and foliage. When this is cut out, she may begin the flowers, which are also cut from folded paper, so that each element is symmetrical. Usually the darkest color is used for the base cutting, and other layers use progressively lighter or brighter colors.. Show the child to plan each shape to be placed on top of the basic blossom so that it is successively smaller, in order that all of the colors may show.
If the child wishes to create identical flowers, one for each side of the arrangement, use the same basic procedure, but fold two sheets of each color together and cut them at the same time.
Once all of the shapes are cut, assemble the final design on the mounting board, gluing successive layers on top of each other.
Presentation: Bird
The traditional Lowicz-style birds are not cut on the fold. The bird is first sketched, then cut out with scissors. The different elements (wings, tails, eyes, etc.) are added with different colors built up in layers. This project uses the same Polish layering technique to build up detail, but does not work with symmetrical patterns.
The finished bird may be mounted on colored paper.