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 the frame; carve flat
Use a center fold for the outer medallion frame only. The picture inside is asymmetric and must be cut after unfolding.
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 mark the frame
Fold the A4 sheet lengthwise with the closed crease on your left. Transfer only the right half of the outer frame from the full-size guide. Leave the animal, lettering and flowers unmarked for now: they must not be mirrored.
3. Cut the outer frame only
Begin at the loose outside edge of the folded rectangle and approach the red frame outline through waste paper. Cut this outside boundary through both layers. Leave the whole center solid and the connections across the crease intact.
4. Open, then cut the details
Unfold and flatten the frame. Align and trace the complete original drawing in its correct direction. Now cut the small feather and floral openings, then the larger spaces around the bird, one layer at a time on a cutting mat. Follow the red interior boundaries and preserve the long feathers and their connections to the round frame.
5. Lift and refine
Gently release the cut design from the surrounding offcuts. Lay it flat and trim only attached scraps or uneven edges. Preserve the long feathers and their connections to the round frame. A finished opening does not need to be cut again.
Do not cut the animal, bird, fish or flowers through folded layers. Follow the full-size upright reference after opening the frame.
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 phoenix medallion 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
Harmony & auspicious beginnings · Phoenix Medallion
Read the cultural context and sources for the recognizable motif. Its use can vary by occasion and tradition.