Christmas Paper Cuts From 1914

"Hanging high upon the tree find a Christmas wish from me." These paper-cut designs were designed by Marion Thomas.

       These little silhouettes suggest an idea for homemade Christmas cards. How much more friendly and personal a greeting written or printed on a card, made by the sender seems than a message picked up in a shop. If you like, cut out each of these illustrations and mount them on paper of bright red or even delicately tinted papers, measuring one and one-half inch longer and one inch wider than the paper cut. If you like, two pieces of mounting board may be tied together with a bow of Christmas ribbon to form a folder. Mount the paper cuts on the outside and write the verses for the inside of the folder.

       If you are an expert in the use of scissors, you might make cards exactly like the originals of these, the designs for which were cut from white paper and mounted on red card stock. Of course this work must be very carefully done, but it will well repay the effort, for you can make cards which will have real individuality and will carry your message of love and greeting in a more personal way than any card bought at a shop. These designs might be used as patterns for cutting out the silhouettes, or you might use the actual illustrations given here, cutting away the dark background. The white figures will be in one piece, which can be carefully pasted to green or black cardboard, mounted, finished with ruled boarders. When cutting leave wide margins of paper, simply cutting away black areas, so that the paper left outside the design will hold the entire paper cut together until it has been mounted. 

• For more paper silhouettes check out our big index at Thrifty Scissors!
• There are also more silhouettes on this blog

When cold winds blow
And there's ice and snow
Sing hey, sing ho, for the wintry weather!
Why long for Spring
And the joys 'twill bring?
'Tis Christmas time brings friends together;
And friendship shines with its warmest glow
In the days of ice and cold and snow.

Eons have passed since first it led
The wise men from afar,
Yet still there shines for each of us,
The visions of His star.

If I were old Santa Claus
Do you know what I'd do?
I'd find your stocking first of all
And fill it full for you -

Not alone with toys and games,
But things more precious still -
With Joy and Peace and Happiness
And Love and all Goodwill.

The children three upon this card
have been unus'lly good.
They know they'll find their stockings full -
As, of course, they should.

But if they'd cross and naughty been
Empty would be each stocking.
They'd have to wait another year -
Now isn't that quite shocking?