Sabeth Elberse is a surface designer, maker, and illustrator based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, working as Sabeth Elberse Studio. Her practice is built around hand-cut paper techniques: she intuitively cuts shapes from paper without a predetermined plan, then refines the results digitally into vibrant vector artwork. She began as a graphic designer and developed this handmade-to-digital methodology over time. She is featured in Uppercase magazine and the Surface Pattern Guide 2025, and was a finalist in the Etsy Design Awards 2023.

Bold, graphical, and colourful with a mid-century modern vibe. Compositions are characterised by abstract forms, vibrant colour, retro influences, and organic shapes derived from the paper-cutting process. Birds appear frequently in her work, often entering patterns organically during the cutting process. Selected images - including cutout garden compositions, folk art/lace patterns, and botanical flower and bird arrangements - reinforce a distinctive visual language that is bold yet humanly imperfect.

Process begins entirely by hand: shapes cut intuitively from black or white paper using scissors, with offcuts and scraps often incorporated. These paper originals are then digitised and refined into vector artwork with added colour, texture, scale, and detail. The final output retains the movement and organic energy of the hand-cut source material.

Sells tapestries and art prints via an Etsy shop (SabethElberseStudio). Designs available for licensing across home décor, textile, stationery, and lifestyle surfaces. Selected pattern images include application to mugs, teapots, and textile formats, indicating range across kitchenware and decorative textile.

Started as a graphic designer. Developed a distinctive hand-cut paper practice from a home studio in Utrecht, growing up in a highly creative family on a farm. Press recognition via Uppercase magazine, Surface Pattern Guide 2025, and Etsy Design Awards finalist 2023.

Paper cut-out based surface patterns with bold colour and mid-century modern graphic character. Selected patterns include folk art and lace-style compositions, botanical flower and bird arrangements, and kitchenware-applied patterns (coffee and teapot series). Designs are structurally graphic while retaining the tactile irregularity of handmade origins.