Papercut Hummingbirds
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We love hummingbirds! Many of us have spotted them outside in our gardens, and Krista has a feeder for them outside her office window. This inspired her to design these papercut hummingbirds, which are an easy craft to make with a cutting machine.
Since there are so many intricate cuts, we do recommend using a cutting machine if you have access to one. But of course, we’ve provided a PDF template if you want to try cutting these by hand with a detail knife.
Find the joy in small things
A hummingbird is an ancient symbol of joy that is thought to bring good luck and positive energy into your life. So if you need a little pick-me-up, crafting these papercut hummingbirds can be a great reminder of that! In our template and SVG file below, you’ll find two different designs — one with floral detail cutouts and one without. To accommodate the floral design, we made these hummingbirds a little larger in size.
Skill level: Beginner
Crafting tips: Wondering what you can do with these papercut hummingbirds? String them up as a hanging decoration for a garden party, create a garland for a kid’s room, use them as a gift topper, or tape them to a skewer and stick them in a flower bouquet. If you’d like, you can also use our pattern as an iron-on design.
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Tools
- Cutting Machine (recommended)
- Craft Scissors
- Detail Knife and Cutting Mat (if cutting by hand)
Materials
- Lia Griffith Frosted Craft Paper – Conifer Pack (#3 & 4), Berry Pack (#4), and Melon Pack (#2)
- Spray Mount Adhesive or Adhesive Dot Roller
- Embroidery Floss — DMC Gold
How to Make Papercut Hummingbirds
- Gather your craft tools and materials. Then download the pattern below.
- Cut out and score paper using a cutting machine (recommended) or by hand with a detail knife.
- Working with one of the cut out birds, mask off the wing with a scrap piece of paper so that it does not get glue on it. Spray the body of the bird with an even layer of adhesive spray. If you choose to use a glue dot roller or other adhesive instead, just apply glue all on the body of the bird up to the score line on the wing.
- If you want to use the hummingbirds for hanging or as a gift topper, cut some embroidery floss and press the end (or ends) onto the adhesive on the bird.
Full tutorial available for members to download below.
Explore More
Love this project? For more ideas like this one, check out our other paper decor crafts.
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Discussion
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10 Comments
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Denise
December 17, 2021 at 6:33am
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Lia
December 17, 2021 at 8:24am
@Denise
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Dawn
August 30, 2021 at 2:40pm
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Lia
August 30, 2021 at 3:30pm
@Dawn
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Mitch
August 28, 2021 at 2:00pm
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Lia
August 28, 2021 at 4:20pm
@Mitch
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Stephanie
August 21, 2021 at 9:21am
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Lia
August 21, 2021 at 2:56pm
@Stephanie
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Mitch
August 18, 2021 at 6:37pm
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Lia
August 19, 2021 at 7:19am
@Mitch
Back to the TopThese paper hummingbirds are so pretty. Putting some in my she shed this year.
Perfect place for these little birds!
For the SVG file, what is the third bird shape for? The one with no score lines, shows up as a solid shape for both sizes, cream colored.
That’s in case you want to add a full layer of color behind the birds with the cut out designs. Otherwise you can discard it 🙂
Thank you! I just got around to trying out these tips today. I opened a new mat, cleaned my blade, and used the pearl paper setting with more, and they have been turning out great. Thanks!
YAY!
I successfully made these yesterday on my maker, with a newish standard mat, pearl paper and more setting. So pretty, I gave one and kept some for my crafting space for inspiration!
Ohh so glad it worked for you!
Hi! I love this design , and I’ve enjoyed hanging up a few hummingbirds who now seem as fleeting as the rest of summer.
I wanted to know if anyone else had challenges with using this template on their Cricut Maker? I have about a 1/3 success rate with either side of the small version of the bird, as most of the time something catches and snags and tears the paper. With the more intricate details on the bigger one, it almost always tears. I have tried light and standard mats, and using lighter pressure, and I can’t find a consistent method. I use the “light cardstock” option for the material. When I test the blade to make stars or hearts, it turns out fine. I’m kind of new to the machine, so I’m not sure if its operator error or something else. If anyone has any insight, I would appreciate it!
Hi! It can take some trial & error to find the perfect setting. Make sure the mats are very clean (any little leftover bit can get caught and make it tear), blade is as new as possible (sharp, clean), and try the Copy Paper or Pearl Paper settings.