The work aims to study the application of paper-cutting art in various modern design fields and explore the design elements that integrate modern design and paper-cutting art. By checking literature and patents related to intangible cultural heritage protection, the paper-cutting art related designs and literature contained in various design fields have been collected and studied. With this as a research object for analysis, the application case of paper-cutting art has been analyzed from four perspectives like modern product design, graphic design, architectural design, and integrated multimedia, to further clarify the influence of simple elements on modern design. The paper-cutting art elements are sorted, summarized, and applied to find out the common points with modern aesthetics. The expression form of paper-cutting art still has the aesthetic elements of modern design, which is the “common” of modern design and paper-cutting art. The protection of intangible cultural heritage can be explored deeply from the perspective of design research and application. By following professional basic theories such as design aesthetics and putting these theories into practice, the paper-cutting art and modern design can be fully integrated.