We’ve been having some fun with texture paste recently, and we wanted to show you how you can too!
With three unique finishes—opaque matte, transparent matte, and transparent gloss—texture paste is a great way to add some three-dimensional flair to any project. Texture paste is extremely versatile and can be used on most surfaces to create, you guessed it, texture! From your gorgeous scrapbook layouts to a beautiful handmade card, texture paste is just what you need to set your crafts apart. We can’t wait to share these awesome ideas with you, so grab your texture paste and get ready for a crafting experience like no other! (Some of the effects are a little harder to see in photos, but we promise, they really pop in person!) 🙂
Texture paste is quick and easy to apply, although you will need to allow ample time for it to dry. There are a few different ways to apply texture paste; one of the quickest and easiest is to use a palette knife or other spreading tool to freehand smear it onto the surface of your paper, or whatever material you plan to use. (Imagine you’re buttering a nice, hot piece of toast!) By using the palette knife, you can easily control the thickness and resulting appearance of the paste.
Tip: If you want a smoother finish, be sure to use a steady hand as you apply the paste. For an impasto effect, you can apply the paste with patting or even gentle slapping motions.
For this card, we spread a semi-thick layer of opaque matte texture paste on the background. We didn’t fuss over it too much, resulting in a layer of varying thickness to add an extra pop!
Another application technique we’ve been having fun with is stencil application. By using stencils, you can incorporate all sorts of fun, textured shapes into your artwork.
For this page, we used the opaque matte paste mixed with a drop of New England Ivy re-inker and a Swiss-dot stencil to create the dotted effect. By spreading texture paste evenly across the stencil, we were left with neat rows of perfect little dots, giving this page a truly unique look! Once the paste dried, we used a Gold Shimmer Brush to add a little sparkle and shine.
Sometimes, a project just screams for colored texture. To achieve the perfect pigment for your paste, we have a few tips, tricks, and techniques we know you’ll love!
If you’re wanting a light, pastel hue, try mixing some watercolor paint into the paste. This method allows you to easily control and adjust the pigment of your texture paste.
For a deeper, richer color, try a re-inker. Simply add a few drops of re-inker to the texture paste sample and mix thoroughly to achieve the desired effect.
Want some sparkle in your texture paste effect? Shimmer brushes are a great way to add a little glitter and subtle glam to your texture paste! Squeeze the shimmer brush gently to get a few drops into the paste and mix well. You can also use glittery embossing powder to make the shine a little more obvious.
Tip: It’s always a good idea to do a small swatch test before using colored texture paste in your project to make sure you’ve achieved the color you were hoping for.
Although the application process is fairly quick, you will need to allow for drying time to ensure that the paste is fully set and dry before you move on to the next steps of your project. One way to speed up this process is by heat setting. Not only does heat setting help the paste to dry and solidify more quickly, it also puffs it up slightly, resulting in a smoother, almost pillowy finish. If you want to explore this option, then by all means, break out your heat tool! If you want to keep the stucco-esque finish, you’ll just need to be patient for a bit 😉 . Although this does require more time to dry, we think it’s 100% worth it!
There is so much that can be done with texture paste. What are you guys creating with these artistic tools and medium? Leave a comment and let us know!
Recipes
12″ x 12″ So Happy Page
X7244B True Love Paper Packet, X7246B Sweet Girl Paper Packet, X5999 Charcoal Cardstock, X6010 Mink Cardstock, X5988 Peach Cardstock, X5993 Sage Cardstock, X6021 Sapphire Cardstock, X6027 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2235 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker, Z4088 White Alphabet Foam Stickers, Z4058 Sapphire Crochet Thread, Z4064 Thin Cuts—Stitched Flowers, Z3316 Shimmer Brush—Gold, Z2467 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Warm Grey Marker, Z1979 Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen, Z4246 Texture Paste Trio, Z4247 Palette Knives, Z4252 Heat Tool
4¼” x 5½” Flower Card
X7246B Sweet Girl Paper Packet, X7247B Into the Wild Paper Packet, X5988 Peach Cardstock, Z5993 Sage Cardstock, Z4058 Sapphire Crochet Thread, Z4246 Texture Paste Trio, Z4247 Palette Knives
I love our texture paste! I have used it on it’s own, coloured it with reinker, coloured it with our Shinhan markers, and added some glitz with our shimmer brushes. So versatile!
Thanks for the ideas using the texture paste! What did you use to make the “swiss dot” and “star” stencils?
Hi Adrienne! We used our stencil sheets along with the Cricut® Artistry and Artbooking collections. From Artistry we cut the swiss dot design, #M4188DF. The stars overlay came from the Artbooking collection, #M3D15D. These designs are so fun and versatile. Enjoy creating with them!
Can the CTMH stencil sheets be used on the Cricut to make background or shape stencils? If so what settings are needed for it to cut through? I tried cutting and it didn’t go through the stencil sheet even after numerous times of cutting it over and over. Like the person before me what did you use to make your dot and star stencils?
Thanks for the ideas using the texture paste.
Great questions, Kathleen. You absolutely can use our stencil sheets on any Cricut machine to create stencils, overlays, shapes, backgrounds, etc. As far as the settings, it ends up depending on which model of machine you are using.
If you are using a digital machine, like the Maker or one of the Explore models, set the cutting dial on the machine to “Custom.” Once the machine is set, go to Design Space and click “Make It” on your project. A prompt will pop up that says “Set Material.” As a submenu to “Set Material” you will see a green link that says “Browse All Materials.” Click on it and then scroll down to the purplish/pink called “Plastic.” Under “Plastic” you will find a choice for “Stencil Film—0.4 mm.” This is how we cut our stencils.
If you are using a non-digital machine, like an Expressions, you will have to experiment with the settings to see what works best for your individual machine. Also, make sure your blade isn’t dull. A dull blade will have a tough time cutting through the stencil sheets.
As for the overlays we created for our artwork in this post, we used the Artistry and Artbooking Cricut® collections. From Artistry we cut the swiss dot design, #M4188DF. The stars overlay came from the Artbooking collection, #M3D15D.
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any more questions. <3
I’ve only used the paste once or twice. I had the most fun when I mixed it with Reinkers and made a green background with a stencil and a background from Artbooking.
Great post! Texture paste is such a versatile and fun medium to work with, and it’s amazing how it can add depth and dimension to any project. I love how you’ve demonstrated different techniques for using texture paste and how it can be combined with other materials to create unique effects. It really allows for endless creativity and experimentation, and I’m definitely inspired to try out some of these techniques in my own art projects.
So glad you liked it! Have fun trying out something new!