ELEMENT: Paper Piecing

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ELEMENT: Paper Piecing
By Shelleyrae Cusbert 2009
Apr 26, 2009, 21:51

Paper piecing is a traditional technique that traditional scrapbookers have long used in layout design. Essentially the technique involves piecing together shapes to create a picture and for digital scrapbookers this technique is a fun way to create a unique element for your page. A search online will bring up many free paper piecing patterns and there are digital designers who offer layered element designs. This tutorial will show you how you can use the shape tool to create your own paper pieced template for an unique element.
A birdhouse is a simple project. It combines simple geometric designs.
Start by selecting the Rectangular Marquee Tool and draw out the birdhouse pole. Use ALT+Backspace to fill the shape with your foreground color.
Create a new layer and repeat to create shapes for the sign and signpost, and top of the flower pot.

Remember to create a new layer for each shape.
Choose the Elliptical Marquee Tool and hold down shift to draw a circle for the birdhouse hole.
To create the base of the flower pot, choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool and hold shift to draw a square.

Fill the selection with color (ALT+Backspace)
From the menu bar select Edit> Transform> Perspective and then pull the top right handle to the right to distort the shape.

Switch to Free Transform and make adjustments in the width and height to suit. Click back on the move tool and choose Apply.

To create the birdhouse we can combine two shapes. Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool and hold shift to draw a square. Fill the selection with a color (ALT+Backspace).

Create a new layer and choose the Custom Shape tool. Choose a color that contrasts with the square using the color picker. Make sure Fill Pixels is selected on the Options bar, then load the Photoshop Shape Preset "Shapes" to access the triangle shape.

Draw out the triangle so it sits neatly on top of the square.

Duplicate the triangle and hide the duplicate layer. Hold CTRL and click on the square and triangle layer to select them. Right click on either layer and choose Merge layers.

Select the duplicate triangle and change its color to contrast with the birdhouse by holding CTRL and clicking on the image thumbnail to select it, choosing a new color in the color picker, and then using CTRL+Backspace keys to fill.

Move it behind the birdhouse and then use the transform controls to increase the size of the triangle and reposition to create a roof.

With the large triangle layer selected, hold CTRL and click on the image thumbnail of the birdhouse to create a selection. Press delete on your keyboard to create the roof shape.
Now you have all the pieces for the birdhouse.
Move the pieces into place to create the birdhouse template.

To complete bird house, choose papers from your collection to suit. Drag a paper onto the template above the layer you wish to fill and clip the paper to the shape (CTRL+ALT+G)