Paper piecing is a way to add unique acid free characters to your child’s scrapbook.  By using a light box, you can turn virtually any printed picture or symbol into a pattern.  The pattern is then traced onto acid free paper and easily assembled to create vibrant additions to your scrapbook pages.

For example, this panda picture was scanned from a book.  You can use simple coloring book pages, pictures from most any books, or even pictures your child has drawn.  In general, pictures for paper piecing can also be found on the Internet and printed out. 

Panda sample picture:

To create an acid free paper piecing of this panda photo, the following supplies were used:

* scanner or copier

* light box (can be purchased at most craft/hobby stores)

* pencil for tracing

* 2 index cards

* .005 black tip micron pen (smallest available tip)

* white gel pen

* light green gel pen

* fine tip scissors

* acid free paper in colors to match scanned picture,

* Panda requires white, black, and green card stock paper.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Scan or copy a picture or symbol (or you can print pictures from the Internet).

 Step 2: Place scanned picture over light box.  In this case, the panda picture was scanned from a book.

Step 3: Using index cards, create a traced pattern for the panda.  As you trace the figure, think of each body component as an overlapping puzzle piece that will be glued together to create a panda.

a)    Trace head only (without ears).

b)    Trace ears, and because they will be glued from

Behind the head, lengthen the ear pattern.

c)     Trace black arms and black upper body section as one piece.  Because this component will be attached from behind the head, lengthen the top of the pattern.

d)    Trace white body segment.  Lengthen at the top and also at top of each leg.  Body will be attached behind black arm section.  Black legs will be placed on top of the body piece.

e)     Trace a pattern for each black leg.  Like the head, legs are to be top pattern pieces.  Trace exactly and do not lengthen.

Step 4: Cut out pattern.  Label each pattern piece with name and color.

Bamboo stems can be cut freehand.  Bamboo leaves can be made from flower punches (cut off a section to create leaves).*

      *Tiny components in paper piecing are often made from parts of paper punches.

Step 5: Select matching acid free card stock papers and trace each                          pattern piece.  For panda, head and body are traced on white                   paper.  Arm section, ears, and legs are traced onto black paper.

          (It’s a good idea to trace reverse side so that you don’t have to    erase your extraneous pencil lines.)

Step 6: Cut out panda components.

Step 7: Place original scanned panda picture on light box again.

          a) Place head piece directly on top of panda picture.

              Using pens, trace eyes, nose and mouth onto head piece.

              You can also outline the head piece now with a .005 fine

              tip black pen.  Only outline with broken lines as shown:

b) Assemble the remainder of the panda using double-sided stickers

     or acid free/xylene free glue. It’s easiest to do this directly overtop

     the original scanned picture on a light box. 

          * Attach black ears and arm segment from behind head.

          * Next, attach white body from behind head/arms.

          * Attach legs on top of body.

          * Cut bamboo branches freehand and attach.

          * Glue bamboo leaves to branches.

              (Mrs. Grossman's sells great scrapbook tweezers that

                 makes working with tiny components easy.)

Step 8: Outline entire panda very lightly, always using broken lines.

            Add foot and hand details when outlining.  Black pen on

            white paper...white pen on black paper...and a light green

            gel pen on green paper for bamboo details. 

(Also, chalking is another way to add details and subtle hues

 to paper piecing.  No chalking was used on the panda sample.)

And you now have one very special panda, and a pattern to make many more!  (If you had been part of the August scrapbook exchange, you would have received this unique paper piecing panda along with many other panda theme swap items.)