Our papercut cockatoo tropical art is a great way to liven up your walls a bit with some fun, bolder colors. This project is beginner-friendly and due to the intricate details of the artwork, we recommend using a cutting machine. If you don’t have access to a cutting machine, you can use a detail knife to cut the template out.

You will find both our SVG file and PDF template below along with our written instructions and photo tutorial to guide you.

Cockatoo is better than one

Although this pretty design can stand on its own, you can also pair it with our tropical toucan. Both birds are sitting sweetly on a branch, surrounded by tropical leaves and a single tropical flower in front.

The layers give our cockatoo tropical art some great dimension. And for even more depth, we used our shimmery, tropical colored papers from our shop. Placing it in a 9″ x 9″ shadow frame will also highlight the 3D effect. 

Everything you need is linked here in this post, and if you have any questions, just comment below! We would love to see all of your tropical creations this month, so be sure to tag #MadeWithLia when posting pictures. 

This content uses links from which we may earn a commission. Disclosure.

Tools

• Cutting Machine (recommended)
• Low-Temp Hot Glue Gun
• Detail Knife
• Craft Scissors
• Curling Tool
• Adhesive Dot Roller

Materials

• 12″x 12″ Paper — Lia Griffith Frosted Craft Paper Conifer Pack: colors 1, 3, & 4, Succulent Pack: color 4, Melon Pack: colors 1 & 3, Stone Fruit Pack: color 4, and Citrus Pack: color 4
• PaperPapers Stardream Metallic in Onyx
• Colored Pencils — Prismacolor Indigo Blue and White
• 3D Self Adhesive Foam Squares — White – 0.25″ X 0.25″
• 9″x9″ Shadow Box Frame

How to Make a Papercut Tropical Cockatoo

1. Gather your craft tools and materials. Then download the pattern below.
2. Cut out paper pieces according to the pattern using a cutting machine or by hand with a detail knife. Cut the foliage out of a range of greens and blue-greens to create a gradient of color when layered.
3. Attach the beak pieces together using a glue dot roller. Shade the beak with a colored pencil (darker than your paper color) just under the top beak.
4. Curl the head feathers slightly using a curling tool or the edge of a pair of scissors.

Explore More

Want to make some more artwork for your walls? Browse our paper art or explore our wall hangings for more ideas.