Past Blog Posts:
Embossed Foil Box Tutorial
Filed under Art Projects, Design Team, Halloween, Steampunk, Tutorials
This post has two wonderful ideas for transforming a simple white chipboard box into an embossed-foil beauty that has the look of hammered metal. Design Team Member Rhea Freitag has posted her own tutorial for the gorgeous steampunk-inpired box at right (shown housing some of her 4×4 Coasters from the recent Birds in Hats Swap).
But since not everyone has an embossing machine, I asked Wendy Anderson to come up with a low-tech variation (the fab Halloween box shown below). Wendy chose to glue brass charms and chipboard cut-outs on the box and (only!) used heavy-duty kitchen foil, white glue, and black acrylic paint.
So, here are Wendy’s instructions, in very few words (and photos below)… I’d suggest following along in the photos from left-to-right and top-down (and all the photos on this page can be clicked on to see larger images):
- Take a box.
- Pick out a selection of charms and chipboard designs (RIP Tombstone Charms, Skull & Crossbones Charms, Antique Brass Spider Webs, Bat Cut-Outs, Brass Bat Charms, Large Brass Key Charms and Skullies shown here).
- Glue them onto the top and sides of box. Walk away. Let dry.
- Take a sheet of foil. Cover chipboard and charms with glue. Apply foil to charms and chipboard on box.
- Now while the glue is still wet, rub over the foil (which is on top of the chipboard cut-outs and charms) with a toothbrush, getting down into and beside the charms and chipboard designs to show definition. (This step is why heavy-duty foil is a must.) Trim off excess foil to edges (or leave yourself about 1/2″ extra and fold (and glue) onto the inside of the top cover and bottom of box).
- If you wish, antique by adding paint to completed foiled designs, and dab off surface of designs leaving paint mostly in crevices.
- Add Gilders Paste to raised designs if desired.
- Decorate inside and bottom of box with decorative papers.