The last of the techniques badge set features techniques that are specific to a material or tool. While a few ideas are listed, there are many more that are not. This is just your first step into these techniques.
Steps
1. Acetate.
Acetate, or transparency material, is a clear plastic sheet. If you’re looking to make shakers (movable confetti) or moving cards, acetate is a great material to work with. You can stamp and emboss on it. Because it’s designed to go through printers, the heat normally doesn’t mess with it. Be sure to test first, just in case it’s an off-brand. Look at cards or embellishments in scrapbooks. Can you tell when acetate is used?
2. Bleach.
Bleach will remove color from paper . . . but it gets everywhere. Using dishwasher soap allows you some control, however. I’ve experimented more with dark t-shirts and rubber stamps than paper with this technique. Be sure to thoroughly clean anything you put bleach on.
3. Emboss.
Embossing is the raised, glossy area on a card. It involves adding an embossing powder to ink and then adding heat so the powder melts. You can use one color, multiple colors or even powders that seem to change colors when melted. Watch a video of the embossing process. It is especially effective when you want to use watercolors, but don’t want them bleeding into each other as the embossed areas hold the paint you put into each. Try heat embossing as a paper craft technique.
4. Encaustic.
Don’t want to use paint? Try wax! Encaustic uses beeswax with resin to create the medium. You might think this was new, but it was practiced by Greek artists in the fifth century BC. Learn about this revived technique.
5. Foil.
Adding foil to your paper gives it some shine. While there are flakes which are messy, you can avoid it by using foil sheets. They come in a lot of colors. You just need adhesive and the foil. Double-sided tape can be used for stripes. You can put it behind open areas in your paper to shine through. Look into foils as a way to brighten up your paper crafts.
6. Hot glue.
Hot glue can do a lot of work beyond just holding things together. Gloobies were a craft by itself for a while – making layers of pieces and putting them together for dimensional items. You can also use it instead of wax for seals. You can also use it for a quick mold. Explore hot glue as a craft material beyond adhesive.
7. Mold.
We discussed molds a bit in the step on paper casting. There are many more molds that you can use. Instead of getting one that’s pre-made, make your own. You can use hot glue, silicon or a slew of other items to make your own molds. Anything you have around your house can be made into a mold. For the ghoul scouts, I made a mold of a minimalist skull to serve as year pins. While I used it for polymer clay, you could also use it for paper. Look at ways to make molds. What items in your home would look cool included in your paper craft.
8. Soot.
I know thissounds odd. If you hold your card stock above a candle, it will collect soot. Instead of stamping something onto your paper, use your rubber stamp to remove soot. You can also touch it with your fingers and leave fingerprints. If you’re using soot, you will need to seal it or it will smear. Experiment with soot as a paper craft technique.
9. Stamp.
Stamping seems to be a simple technique. However, you can expand upon the “ink to rubber to paper” basics to some really fun techniques. Start with the basics with the Enrichment Project badge set that can help you start your journey into this fun paper craft techique.
10. Stamp, mask.
Some stamping techniques need their own step. Masking with stamps allow you to make layered scenes with stamped images. By putting an image on a post-it note or similar item, you can put it down to block where you don’t want the ink on your final paper. So, where most of our techniques do something to the paper, masking stops the stamp from adjusting the paper. Experiment with stamps and masking.
11. Stamp, solid.
Solid stamps take stamping to a new level. In addition to having large single-color images, you can use markers to color areas on the stamp for a blended look. You can also use other stamps to stamp on it and then onto paper . . . just be careful if your non-solid stamp has words. Experiment with this technique.
12. Stencil emboss.
Embossing is raising an area of the paper. You can dry emboss, or relief emboss, with a stencil and stylus. It’s best to use blue tape to tape down your stencil . . . brass ones work best. Then, flip it over and use the stylus to press the paper into the areas of the stencil. If you have a light table or window, the extra light will help you identify the areas that still need to be done. You will end up with a raised image. If you wish to add color, you can. Depending on the medium (such as chalk), you may need to seal it so it doesn’t come off. Start experimenting with dry embossing.
NOTE: Some die-cut machines also come with embossing plates so you don’t need to do this by hand. If you have a machine, see if this option is available to you.
13. Stencil more.
You do even more with stencils. Here’s a list for you to start experimenting with.
- Use paper punches to make stencils
- Theorem or layered stencils (one color per stencil)
- Spackling applied to brass stencil to simulate raised paper (it’s cheaper than embossing paste)
- Outline and color in designs
- Use the stencil as a resist
14. Vellum.
Vellum paper can be a slightly see-through page of one color or be printed with images . . . often in white, gold or silver. Because you can see through it, it allows you to see a softened version of the elements below it. It adds elegance to cards and other paper crafts. It can be challenging to work with, however, because you can see glue and tape through it. Brads and eyelets are often used to adhere it to other layers. Check out cards with vellum overlays.
To see the techniques you can use with vellum paper, check out “Pergamano” in the Paper Craft Techniques II badge program.
15. Watercolor.
You probably thought of the cheap sets you can get at the store before school. Personally, I prefer the watercolor pencils. You can color in your design and then add water to control the color. Alternatively, you can color on one sheet and transfer the watercolor over to another. There are way too many watercolor techniques to mention. It’s low cost, so just experiment!
Badge and Supplement Files
Member Level
- 0EP_B_BPG_Paper Tech V_2in_12up_MS1_larajla — generic badge printable
- 0EP_BLIST_Paper Tech V_MS1_larajla — badge items per membership level
- 0EP_BSET0_Paper Tech V_MS1_larajla —badge set and related badges
- 0EP_SUPP0_Paper Tech V_Journal_MS1_larajla — badge journal
- 0EP_SUPP0_Paper Tech V_Planner_MS1_larajla — badge planner
- 0EP_SUPPL_Paper Tech V_MS1_larajla — supplements currently available per membership level
Supplement Fun
- N/A
Sites to Explore
- www.craftcreations.com/pages/free-craft-projects
- feltmagnet.com/crafts/Watercolor-Techniques-Tips-and-Ideas
- www.thesprucecrafts.com/dry-embossing-1251183
- www.all-about-stencils.com/paper-crafts.html
- blog.thepapermillstore.com/18-stenciling-tips-techniques
- www.thesprucecrafts.com/embossing-paste-profile-2905729
- www.favecrafts.com/Techniques/19-Paper-Craft-Techniques
- allthingsencaustic.com/encaustic-beginners-guide
- www.jennifermcguireink.com/2018/01/simple-no-heat-foil-techniques.html
- www.sea.museum/2017/03/29/casting-the-past-how-to-make-cheap-easy-moulds-and-casts
- itsmejd.com/vellum-paper-tips-techniques-for-cards-and-invitations
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