Method for providing a decorative shredded material

Abstract

A decorative shredded material having a complete pattern contained on each strip or piece of the decorative shredded material. Methods for making decorative shredded material.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing a decorative shredded material, comprising: 
 providing a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material; and    shredding the sheet of material into a decorative shredded material having a plurality of discrete, separate decorative strips wherein the decorative strips are decorative grass or tinsel, and wherein one complete pattern of the plurality of patterns is contained on each decorative strip of the decorative shredded material and no irregular, cut-apart patterns or portions of patterns are present on each decorative strip of the decorative shredded material.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further defined as having a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the bonding material forms at least a portion of the pattern.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further defined as being constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of paper, foil, polymer film, metallized film, fabric, fiber, burlap and any combination or lamination thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material has a thickness in a range of from about 0.1 mil to about 20 mil.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further provided with guidelines thereon that define an area on the sheet of material to be cut such that the sheet of material may be shredded into the decorative shredded material without cutting substantially into any portion of each of the plurality of patterns.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of providing a sheet of material further comprises: 
 providing a roll of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof;  
 unrolling a portion of the roll of material; and  
 severing the unrolled portion of material to provide a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of providing a sheet of material further comprises: 
 providing a pad of sheets of material, each of the sheets of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material; and  
 removing a top sheet of the pad to provide a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material.  
 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing a decorative shredded material, comprising: 
 providing a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material; and    shredding the sheet of material into a decorative shredded material having a plurality of discrete, separate decorative elements wherein the plurality of decorative elements are at least one of confetti, glitter and flakes, and wherein one complete pattern of the plurality of patterns is contained on each decorative element of the decorative shredded material and no irregular, cut-apart patterns or portions of patterns are present on each decorative strip of the decorative shredded material.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further defined as having a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the bonding material forms at least a portion of the pattern.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further defined as being constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of paper, foil, polymer film, metallized film, fabric, fiber, burlap and any combination or lamination thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material has a thickness in a range of from about 0.1 mil to about 20 mil.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein, in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material is further provided with guidelines thereon that define an area on the sheet of material to be cut such that the sheet of material may be shredded into the decorative shredded material without cutting substantially into any portion of each of the plurality of patterns.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a sheet of material further comprises: 
 providing a roll of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof;  
 unrolling a portion of the roll of material; and  
 severing the unrolled portion of material to provide a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a sheet of material further comprises: 
 providing a pad of sheets of material, each of the sheets of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material; and  
 removing a top sheet of the pad to provide a sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer periphery, the sheet of material having a plurality of patterns printed, etched and/or embossed on at least a portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces thereof, each pattern of the plurality of patterns oriented along more than one axis so that each of the patterns is contained within a specified, predetermined area on a portion of the sheet of material.