Holiday Card Keeper - Part 1

Welcome Back! 

Today I'm starting a three part/day blog post.  I'm hosting a FREE blog presentation on how to make a Holiday Card Keeper.  You can view the Supply List for what you'll need the next three days here.

If you have any questions, post them as a comment and I'll answer them in another post for everyone to see.

Enjoy!

Supply List for today: **

• Box with lid – I’m using a cigar box, it measures 8 ¼ x 7 ¾ x 3, any paper Mache box will work too.
• Holiday papers
• Gel Medium, Mod Podge or other favorite wet adhesive
• Paints with Brushes, I’m using the new Claudine Paints by Ranger but any acrylic paints will do.
• Sand Paper and Sanding Block
• Aluminum Metal Foil – about 36-40 gauges will work well.

**See my tips in yesterday's post.

I’m working with a cigar box as my card keeper. Any paper mache box will do and use your imagination, you don’t have to make a card keeper either. A journal, a clock, a photo frame, almost anything can be covered in metal.

Today we are going to prep our Cigar box.  I used Gesso to cover the wood grain look on my box. If you are using a paper mache box, you may not need this step.

Once completely dry, I sanded off an area that was bumpy. You’ll want to make sure that the top part of your box, the area that’s going to have the metal embossing on it is as flat as you can get it. If you have bumps, it might show through on your metal when you lay it down.

Once the outside was dry, I painted the inside edges. I’m going to place Holiday paper in the top recess and the bottom recess but I need to paint the edges first. I painted the flat edge and the inside edge of the inside of the box. I used Ranger's Studio Paint in Sable Brown. It’s nice and creamy and thick. Any acrylic paint will do for this step. The key is to cover completely any areas you want covered. Some paints will take several coats. Before painting the bottom, I did remove some cedar planks that were fitted into the box. Your box may or may not have these. Removing them is your choice as well.

I painted the inside edge of the bottom with Ranger's Studio Paint in Modern Red. Once dry, I measured my inside edges and cut some Holiday paper to cover the top and bottom edges.

I used the Studio Multi-medium in Matte to ‘glue’ the paper to the top and the bottom and then I also used it as a glaze over the paper. I did have a few bubbles in my project but I’m happy to say, when they dried, they dried flat. The key is to add thin layers of multi medium.

*Not pictured, I painted the top lid of the box the same Modern red and I added Holiday papers to the bottom outside edge. I adhered the paper with the Multi Medium and I then added a thin layer of multi medium over the paper too.

I used one of the left over cedar planks to keep propped open. I left this to dry overnight.


Tomorrow, we’ll emboss our metal. I used a piece of aluminum metal that just fit the top of my cigar box…

While I used a piece of Copper colored Art Metal from 10 Seconds Studio as well as their tools, remember you can use a top to a large disposable aluminum party pan and some basic supplies you might have at home. Here’s a photo for reference…

That’s a cutting mat, a disposable aluminum pan cover, a mouse pad, several stylus’ and an empty ball point pen.