We may just be emerging from winter, but I’m already planning for summer fun. The thought of warm, sunny places has me in a tropical mode! Toucans scream TROPICAL! Here’s a design for a Toucan window ornament, to warm up your early spring. There are many kinds of toucans! This is the Toco Toucan, the most iconic of the lot.
I drew inspiration from stained glass art, which has richly opaque outlines and translucent, brightly colored glass. Onyx Stardream provides that velvety dark with a luxurious sheen, and the Pergamenata Parchment is translucent and sturdy.
Materials to make one toucan:
- Cardstock Warehouse Cardstock Papers
- 1 sheet of 8.5x11 Onyx Stardream Collection
- 1 sheet of 8.5x11 Bianco Pergamenata Parchment
- Toucan Printouts Below (click the links, then right-click to save)
Tools:
- Papercutting blade (such as Excel or Exacto)
- Self-healing mat
- Zig Glue Pen
- Felt Tip Markers in Yellow, Orange, and Red (Kid’s markers will do)
- Thread & needle
Print out the PDFs linked above in the supplies list. Use your blade to start cutting out the toucan, following the solid lines. You’ll need both black toucans for the ornament.
I recommend cutting the entire toucan shape out first, before working on the details. It’s then easier to maneuver your cardstock around so that it is oriented for easy cutting.
When I cut small shapes that I wish to remove, like this tiny foot, I cut along the outline and then stab the shape with my knife, and lift to pull it free.
Cut out the parchment shapes too. Don’t cut along the dotted lines, those are coloring guides. You’ll only need one parchment shape to make one ornament.
Use felt tips to color in the parchment toucan. I colored over backing paper so that my markers could go right up to the edge. The beak is an ombre of yellow at the top, orange in the middle and red at the bottom. If you switch colors fast enough, the inks will blend in between the colors.
There’s a patch of red under the tail, and I colored the feet yellow. In real life they’re grayish, but yellow is more fun.
Color BOTH sides of the parchment.
Time to assemble the pieces! Take one black toucan and use the glue pen and outline the “windows”. A little glue goes a long way!
Line up the parchment over the black toucan and press to adhere.
Apply more glue, this time to the edge of the ornament. Line up the other black toucan so that the parchment is sandwiched in between the two black cutouts. Press to adhere.
Take a length of thread - as long as suited for your decorative purposes (mine was about 20” long), thread the needle and tie the ends in a knot.
Push the needle through the toucan forehead, and pull through almost all the way; before the knot hits the paper, put the needle through the loop and pull secure. Cut your thread at the needle and tie a knot at the top.
Your toucan is ready to brighten your window!
Follow me on Instagram @Ginkgozee to see my print-making art. I am primarily a stamp designer and carver, but all aspects of paper arts call to me.
Also, follow Cardstock Warehouse on Facebook and Instagram for more fun paper crafting projects!
Jennifer Zee