Cut It Out!

DESIGN | by KAT SPELLMAN

THE WHOLE CUTWORK AND PAPER CUT-OUTS THING has seen a huge resurgence in years of late. “On trend” indeed, its influence can be seen everywhere from textiles and wrapping paper to housewares and all over this season’s fashion runways and catalogs.

© TORD BOONTJE

In the home category, designer Tord Boontje is the style’s granddaddy, crafting everything from flexible metal garland light covers to dress up bare bulbs, to room-dividing Tyvek curtains featuring motifs like “Until Dawn” and “Ivy”.

This fashion can be thriftily borrowed to create affordable, temporary window coverings in a flash when there’s a sudden need for privacy ― like when a neighbor’s tree that offers a visual block for a bathroom window is suddenly cut down. For those short on cash and seeking a crisp look, grab plain white paper from the printer and spend 20 minutes folding and cutting out paper panels for the windows. It’s an activity that hearkens back to making paper snowflakes as a kid, and the cost is next to nothing. Simply smooth out the folds, tape in place, and voila.

Have more time and talent? Grab a Cricut from Provocraft and plan your design more carefully. Or use an Xacto knife to freehand designs and motifs on lightweight vellum. Great fun and a great look.