This stiff craft paper is used as an alternative to Aida cloth for counted cross-stitch. Small holes are punched in rows across the entire sheet of paper. Available in 14-count cream or white paper, other colors and counts can be found on occasion. Perforated paper is the cross-stitch equivalent of plastic canvas for needlepoint. As a craft supplies paper, it has a very specific purpose.
To make an ornament, usually the same shape is cut out twice. The pattern is added in embroidery floss, and embellished with beads or sequins. Then the two pieces are sewn together back-to-back. This makes very pretty ornaments that do not require spray stiffening or stuffing to retain their shape.
According to Wikipedia, this paper first appeared in the 1820′s. It disappeared early in the twentieth century, to resurface in the 60′s or 70′s. You may have to do some searching to find it, but is a lot of fun to work with.
Beware: “perforated paper” is also used for 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper perforated into a number of smaller sizes and used in business. Perforation is also the term for forms that can be torn apart and is used to allow postage stamps to be separated. While these can certainly be used for crafts, if you are looking for the cross-stitch kind of perforated paper, there will be mention of “perforations per inch.”
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