Scherenschnitte

Marie-Helene Grabman (Beverly Hills, Michigan)
Scherenschnitte is a paper-cutting art developed in Switzerland and Germany that immigrants brought to America beginning in the 1700s. In both Europe and the United States, scherenschnitte enhances and embellishes religious and legal documents, decorates shelving edges and windows, and commemorates special events like births and weddings.

Marie-Helene Grabman began making scherenschnitte when she was 6 or 7 years old. Her German, maternal grandmother used embroidery scissors to cut out illustrations to the folk tales she told. She encouraged her granddaughter to make paper cuttings and used them to decorate the "children’s Christmas tree" in her home. As an adult, Grabman continued the custom. One year, her tree was included as part of a Christmas home tour. Her paper cuttings were so popular that she was invited to enter a craft show the following month. Later, she was one of 12 Americans included in the Swiss National Museum’s exhibit "Going West: Swiss Folk Art in America." Her scherenschnitte also decorated the White House Christmas Tree in 1999.