What craft was Hans Christian Andersen famous for creating with paper?

Hans Christian Andersen was famous for creating intricate paper cuttings.

Andersen often folded paper and cut it with scissors while entertaining children or socializing with friends. His designs included figures, landscapes, dancers, swans, castles, and other imaginative shapes. He frequently unfolded the paper to reveal a symmetrical or surprisingly detailed image.

These paper cuttings were not merely a modern publicity invention; surviving examples and contemporary accounts document the activity as part of Andersen’s creative life. He sometimes presented cuttings to hosts and children, making the craft an informal extension of his storytelling.

Paper cutting is sometimes confused with illustration for Andersen’s books. Illustrators created the printed images associated with many editions, while Andersen himself made the original scissor-cut designs. His cutting practice also helps explain why silhouettes and sharply outlined figures appear so often in portraits and accounts of his social gatherings.