DIY Network

Create Paper Punch Art

Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza, cohosts of Creative Juice, explain how to make your own artwork with decorative paper and a paper punch.

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With a few simple supplies and a little creativity, you could decorate your plain walls with homemade cherry-blossom artwork.

Bring spring in a little early with this paper-punch project

By Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza

Spring isn't that far away, and soon every tree in my neighborhood will begin to develop tiny blossoms. The soft pink and rich raspberry colors you often see in those buds are the inspiration for this easy paper-punched art project.

Anyone who scrapbooks, crafts or dabbles in altered art is sure to have tons of beautiful bits of scrap paper lying around just waiting for a project in which to be used. This project is specifically designed to use up those odd pieces of paper and brighten your walls with a little spring fever. With a few simple supplies and a little creativity, scrap paper is easily transformed into a beautiful cherry blossom piece of art.

Materials:

large sheet of decorative paper (slightly larger than the size of your frame)
scissors
small tree branch (pick appropriate size for the paper; this will be used as inspiration for the organic lines of the cherry tree limb)
pencil
brown acid-free brush-tipped marker
1" flower-shaped paper punch
scrap pieces of decorative paper in a variety of colors and textures
Joleen's Boutique small green paper leaves
acid-free glue stick
frame

Steps:

1. It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to do this project. Paper-punched art is free-flowing. Don't worry if you make a mistake--just add an extra tree branch or glue on an extra paper flower shape.

2. First, trim the large sheet of decorative paper to fit the size of your frame.

3. Using the tree branch as a guide, sketch cherry tree limbs on the decorative paper with a pencil. (Again, don't worry about it being perfect--it is better to have a loose hand and just go for it; it's only pencil!)

4. Use the brush-tipped marker to trace over the pencil lines and fill in the tree limbs. Add branches for a fuller look and then add small 1/4-inch notches on the branches to create the look of new buds.

5. Punch about 40 flower shapes out of the scrap decorative paper. You can get really creative here by using different textures, colors and vellum papers.

6. Arrange the flower punches and leaves on the branches and secure with the acid-free glue stick. Layering and grouping the flower punches in threes will add to the over all composition.

7. When you are happy with your design, pop in a frame and hang.

(Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza cohost Creative Juice. For more information log on to www.cathiefilian.com.)

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