剪纸是一种纸张艺术，是以剪刀把人剪成不同的图案。除中国剪纸外，世界各地也有具有当地特色的剪纸艺术。

现存最早的剪纸作品则在**吐鲁番阿斯塔那古墓发现，为六世纪时期作品。剪纸艺术于唐代及宋代盛行，后于十六世纪传入土耳其，并在十八及十九世纪传入西亚。

Scherenschnitte (German pronunciation:[ˈʃeːʁənˌʃnɪtə]), which means "scissor cuts" in German, is the art of paper cutting design. The art work often has symmetry within the design, and common forms include silhouettes, valentines, and love letters. The art tradition was founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 16th century, and was brought to Colonial America in the 18th century by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania.