One of China's most popular folk arts is paper cutting . Archaeological  finds trace the tradition back to the 6thcentury; it is supposed that the beginnings of paper cutting were even a few centuries earlier. Paper cuttings are used for religious  purposes, for decoration  and as patterns . Today, paper cuttings are mainly used as decoration. They _ walls, windows, doors, columns mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes. They are also used for decoration on presents, and are given as presents themselves. They are of special importance at festivals. At the Spring Festival for example, entrances are decorated with paper cuttings which are supposed to bring good luck. Paper cuttings are not produced by machine, but by hand. There are two kinds of paper cuttings; scissor   cuttings and knife cuttings. Scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several pieces of paper--- up to eight pieces---are fastened together. The motif  is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers   of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow   and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which he usually holds vertically . The advantage of knife cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than scissor cuttings. In the countryside, paper cuttings are usually made only by women and girls. This used to be one of the skills that every girl was to master and that were often used to judge brides . Professional paper cutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who have guaranteed   incomes and work together in workshops. Paper cuttings can be used for   _  .
decoration decoration on presents presents all of the above