How to Make Paper Lace
Learning how to make paper lace takes patience and precision, but the result is well worth the effort. If you have ever created a paper snowflake, you've already done basic paper lace crafting. Regardless if you want to make large paper lace blocks or small strips, you're going to need some paper, sharp scissors and a paper hole punch. White paper is the best choice for practicing how to make paper lace. When you gain a little experience, you can start using different colors, patterns and textures of paper.
Instructions
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Place a piece of white paper on a flat surface. The paper can be any size, but it must be shaped like a perfect square to make this paper lace project.
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Fold the top right corner of the paper down to meet the bottom left corner, keeping the lines even. Fold the top left corner of the paper down to meet the bottom right corner. Bring the bottom left corner over to meet the bottom right corner. The result should be a basic right triangle shape you can cut into paper lace.
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Keep the folded paper placement in mind as you pick up the triangle without tilting it. Use a pair of scissors to cut 1/2 inch off the lower right corner of the triangle. Make the cut rounded, like the top of a circle.
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Take your paper hole punch and make clean, sharp, small holes around the triangle to create the paper lace. Make sure not to cut away all of the folded edges, as these are what keep the entire sheet of paper together to secure the decorated paper lace.
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Unfold your paper and check the design. Refold the paper to alter the design as needed. When you create a satisfactory pattern, unfold the paper lace and smooth it on a flat surface to help remove the heavy creases.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find that you enjoy making paper lace, you may want to visit your local craft store for special supplies. Any store that carries general scrapbooking materials will have special punches for making paper lace that create intricate designs. There are also special punches you can use to create fancy shapes on the edge or corners of your paper lace.
If you're trying to make a long and skinny strip of paper lace, do not use the folding technique. A strip of paper lace needs to be cut shape-by-shape. You need to punch each hole or cut each section individually.