The Art of Paper Weaving, by Anna Schepper and Lene Schepper. Review.

The Art of Paper Weaving

46 Colorful, Dimensional Projects

By Anna Schepper and Lene Schepper

Quarry Books 2015

Paperback £15.99 UK/$24.99US/$29.99CAN

ISBN 978-1-63159-039-9

Star rating: *****+

Have you ever made a woven paper heart? Paper weaving is a craft tradition in Denmark and Norway.  Anna and Lene, the Danish mother and daughter team behind Paper Matrix, have taken the art of paper weaving and updated it for the 21^st century.  From a papercrafter’s viewpoint, their book is about exciting as it gets.  What do you get when you combine reverence for tradition  past, a deep understanding of geometric principles (Anna is a trained architect),  and an assist from some powerful design software? – the unmistakable genius of Paper Matrix.

If this book were only a project book, it would have earned its five star rating. But it goes beyond the presentation of  wonderful projects – it aims to build skills so that eventually the reader will be able to combine ideas and eventually innovate. Wow. 

Beginning with an attractive triangle bunting, the book introduces designs of increasing complexity. The triangle bunting, no less attractive for its simplicity, teaches several skills used in more complex paper weaving – weaving in rows, weaving around a centre, and sliding. The book then moves on to the Basic Cone – a cornet shape with a handle that would make an ideal tree decoration. Before weaving, the two pieces of the cone template look like angel wings! Invaluable tip – they are interwoven over a paper cone armature. Next come spheres – the swirling pattern pieces are awesomely beautiful in their own right. The last basic shape is the basket, the most functional  design.

With basic skills established, the book moves on to ever more intricate creations – hot air balloons, and exquisite shaped creations like onion domes. The Heart in Hand, based on 1840s friendship tokens, would make a wonderful Valentine’s project. There are sections of themed projects, such as Magic Circus, and Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen’s famous amusement park). 

A delightful section at the back of the book, Pretty Handles, shows a variety of interwoven handle options. The handle strips can be interlaced in various ways to produce different designs. There is also a nifty spread, On Colors and Patterns, that tells you how to interweave the coloured strips to produced desired pattern results (takes me back to when I studied woven textiles).

The projects are accompanied by carefully detailed step-by-steps, illustrated as required. The back-of-book templates are full-size, with more available online. 

How do you go about reproducing the intricate design templates? The authors suggest three different methods:  photocopier and scissors; scanner, printer, and scissors; or scanner, software, and digital cutter. (Surely the last method is the optimum method for crafting professional-looking results.) So - not exactly easy-when-you-know-how - but a fascinating creative skill to learn and build upon.

I have previously reviewed Fletvaerk, Anna & Lene Schepper’s Danish-language title, on my blog. Although there is some overlap in the content of the two titles, The Art of Paper Weaving is a more comprehensive skill-builder.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a papercrafter, then the unmistakable magic of Paper Matrix should be top of your list – The Art of Paper Weaving.

Ski Sweater Drawstring Gift Box Mini Tutorial

I have a thing for ski sweaters - a cosy and comforting  motif. So, in addition to yesterday's dinky cubes, here are some drawstring gift boxes. The top closure forms a pretty star shape. This project would be thoughtful gift packaging for a knitting or crochet enthusiast, or it would make an ideal container for a small handmade item - like a pair of gloves or mittens.

There are two different co-ordinating colour combos. You can place the boxes side-by-side and the jumpers form a continuous repeat. Cool.

I have embossed the folds with a Silhouette Curio machine, but I also provide .pdf files for those of you who haven't yet gone digital.

Here are your free printables:
SkiSweaterDrawstringBoxA.pdf 
SkiSweaterDrawstringBoxB.pdf 
SkiSweaterDrawstringBoxC.pdf 

SkiSweaterDrawstringBox.studio3 

For each gift box, you need:
3 pieces of photocopier card
45cm (18in) of 3mm(1/8in)-wide ribbon; tapestry needle
2 seed beads; sewing needle, thread 
Craft thread
Double-sided tape and/or PVA tacky glue

To score by hand:
Fine embossing tool, small metal ruler

To make up:
1 Print the design and cut out the box pieces. For each box you need two body pieces and a base. (The reinforcements are optional.) 

If cutting out with a Silhouette Curio, turn on the registration marks and print out the box body. (Pic below shows box on cutting mat).

Next, slide the cutting mat on top of the box body, with edges aligned. Use Advanced cutting - cut by colour. Emboss the blue lines with the fine embossing tool (pic below). 

Next, cut out the box body (purple lines, ratchet blade). Repeat for the remaining box body piece. Cut out the box base and the tags by standard cutting method.

If cutting out by hand - cut out with scissors and mark the fold lines with an embossing tool held against a metal ruler.

2 Pic above shows how to piece the two body pieces. Glue reinforcments over the holes on the wrong side before joining together to make a ring. Crease all the folds. Mountain folds at the peaks, valley folds in between.

3 Glue (or tape) the tabs onto the base to complete the box (see pic above).

4 Using a tapestry needle, lace the ribbon through the holes. Thread a bead on to each ribbon end. There's a trick to this. Thread a sewing needle with sewing thread and stitche through the ribbon end. Re-thread both thread ends through the needle, then pass through the hole in the seed bead. You can now slide the seed bead up the ribbon.
Tie a knot below the bead and trim the ribbon end. I seal the ribbon tails with a smidge of PVA glue applied with a cocktail stick.

5 The gift tag is tied on to the drawstring using a bit of craft thread.

Enlarge the pattern pieces to make bigger boxes. If using the Silhouette Curio, the long base will be required for bigger box sizes.







 

 

Winter Woollies Gift Box

These dinky cubes (4.5cm/1-3/4in) are great as party favours - they are stackable and fun. They are decorated with a seasonal ski sweater motif. If you put a ribbon hanging loop in a cube corner, then you have a tree ornament!

I have given you two versions - .pdf printable, or print-and-cut for a Silhouette Curio machine. The Curio will emboss the fold lines and cut out the template pieces for you. 

Here are your free templates:
SkiSweaterGiftBox.pdf 
SkiSweaterGiftBox.studio3 

The .pdf printable is all-in-one.

The Silhouette Curio cube is in two pieces.

Winter Woollies Gift Box How-Tos:

.pdf Version:

Cut the box out (photocopier card is ideal), score the fold lines with a fine-point embossing tool and a small ruler, crease the folds, join the one flap to complete the box. 

Silhouette Curio Version

1 Open the file. The registration marks are turned on. Print the box portion on the mat on to photocopier card.

2 Place the print-out on the embossing mat. Move the folding guide over the box print-out, with edges aligned. Choose Advanced cutting.Place the fine embossing tool in the righthand carriage. Emboss = blue. Select Cardstock and the fine embossing tool. Send to cut - and the fold lines are embossed.

3 Re-insert the template into the Curio. Adjust the cut settings. Purple = cut, Ratchet Blade in the lefthand carriage. Deselect the blue. Select the purple. Choose Cardstock and Ratchet Blade. Send to the machine.

4 Repeat this process for the second half of the box. 

5 Join the two box pieces together, as shown above. Crease the folds. Join the end tab - your box is complete.

If you have the Silhouette Curio Long Base, you can enlarge the templates to make bigger boxes.