Know what stays. Know what goes.
The printable shows the full, upright design. Check the folding notes below before choosing how to prepare the sheet.
Preserve narrow connections between shapes. Loose shapes need a backing sheet or separate placement; the drawing has not been physically tested for connectivity.
From one A4 sheet to your paper cut
Fold, cut & unfold
Both halves of this finished design match. Use one center fold for the printable version, then open it for delicate finishing.
Start with a complete, uncut sheet. Each picture shows the paper before that step; red dashes mark only the next cuts. Keep the surrounding paper until the outside-cutting step.
1. Start with a full A4 sheet
Take one blank A4 sheet (210 x 297 mm), preferably thin colored paper. Print PDF page 1 separately at 100% and check its 50 mm line. Center the pattern on your blank sheet; do not cut off the surrounding paper yet.
2. Fold and transfer half
Keep the double-happiness character upright. Fold on its vertical center and trace the right half exactly. Mark the rectangular openings, but do not redraw or shorten any character strokes.
3. Cut the inside first
Cut each enclosed rectangle first. An adult starts closed holes on a cutting mat. Stop at the marked corners so a cut does not run into the next stroke. Leave the horizontal bars joining the two characters intact.
4. Cut the outside contour
Cut the stepped outside outline last, stopping at each corner and rotating the paper. Keep all bars at their printed width. Open carefully and compare both upright characters with PDF page 1 before trimming scraps.
5. Unfold and refine
Open the folded paper slowly. Matching openings now appear on both sides. Lay it flat and trim only attached scraps or uneven edges. Preserve every red character stroke and the horizontal links joining the two halves. A finished opening does not need to be cut again.
Use thin paper: two layers should remain easy to control.
PDF page 1 is the clean full-size pattern; pages 2–3 show this complete sequence. A4 is the default; the Letter download uses a Letter sheet. Try a scrap first to check fragile bridges.
Print, prepare, and make
Match the PDF to your paper size and check the 50 mm scale line. Keep the pattern-specific folding sequence above beside you as you work.
Printing a paper cutting template · From download to finished paper cut · Printing and cutting troubleshooting
Paper and tools
Try the paper and tools on a scrap first. Difficulty and time are planning estimates; complete a trial before preparing a group activity.
Paper cutting tools and materialsAbout this template
A full, upright double happiness design adapted from the interactive studio. Follow its folding notes to prepare the paper and finish the details. The PDF is a cutting study; the SVG contains editable vector outlines.
Meaning of the motif
Marriage & shared joy · Double Happiness
Read the cultural context and sources for the recognizable motif. Its use can vary by occasion and tradition.
