Metallic Magic Tutorial

Crafting supplies can be found in the most unusual places and lead to the most fabulous of techniques! I raided the kitchen for some aluminium foil and cereal boxes and the shed for metal flashing tape, and combined them with bits and bobs that I already had in my crafty stash to create fantastic faux-metal backgrounds and embellishments. The foil and tape worked well for me, although the tape conveniently has the added bonus of an adhesive backing.

This cost-effective technique is easy to achieve. Once you have decided upon what to use for your metallic surface (for my cards it was either foil or tape), simply apply it to cardstock and have fun adding texture to it. The quickest way to add texture is by using an embossing folder. I used patterned embossing folders to create backgrounds and smaller ones to create sentiments. It’s worth experimenting with the reverse of the embossed design as sometimes a debossed image works better than an embossed one.

This technique also lends itself perfectly to creating faux-embossed pieces when used with your dies. Customised, faux-embossed images can be created by wrapping foil around a die-cut shape placed onto cardstock; this creates a more individual, rustic look. Of course, you can simply die-cut shapes and wrap foil around them to create fabulous faux-metal embellishments. I’ve even added foil to fun foam and then die-cut it to create leaves with added depth.

The fun doesn’t stop here – once you’ve created your faux-metal piece you can easily add colour to it. Acrylic paint works really well to cover large areas (either painted on or spray-painted to create a smoother surface), while alcohol markers and Sharpie pens are brilliant for small areas – they make edging embellishments a breeze too. Alcohol ink is perfect for creating a more random look, and Distress Ink can be used to to paint directly over the paint for a softer look.

After painting your piece, you can leave it as it is for a solid, clean look or give it a rustic twist by gently sanding the piece with fine-grade sandpaper. This adds a lovely vintage effect and allows the metallic effect of the foil or tape to show through, which adds to the magic of the faux-metal technique. Alcohol blending solution is a suitable alternative to remove any excess paint if you don’t have fine-grade sandpaper, and an alcohol blending pen is good for finer detail.

As the faux-metal embellishments are lightweight, they are perfect for attaching to cards, and you can customise them further by poking holes through them for brads and eyelets. Attach them to your projects using tape or glue, or even stitch through them! The die-cut shapes can be layered together and their flexibility makes them perfect for moulding flower petals and leaves. Whatever you decide to create using this technique, it’s guaranteed to add a fun dimension to your projects.