cut paper collage

Supplies:  9x12" mat board (or stretched canvas), gesso, acrylic paint, scrapbook paper (1 sheet per collage), mod podge and brushes (I used a 1" flat brush)

To make:  coat both sides of mat board with gesso (omit if using pre-coated stretched canvas), let dry.  Paint front of board with acrylic in background color of choice, let dry.

 Prepare 1 sheet of paper to be cut by first folding it in half and then folding it in half again. 

Then fold the paper into a triangle along a line diagonal from corner to corner. 

Then fold the triangle in half 

Make a decorative cut through all layers of paper as shown

Add cuts along edge

Unfold and smooth out fold lines with a bone tool

Add a layer of mod podge to the background board, lay paper on top and smooth down - starting in the middle and working out to edges.  Cover with a light layer of mod podge.