We’re jumping right into the new year and celebrating National Papercrafting Month with the All Around Creativity special, featuring four gorgeous wreath kits that are only available from Close To My Heart through the end of the month. There are so many different ways to embellish these beautiful wreaths, so we figured we’d have some fun and share with you four simple ways that we’ve added color to the plywood bases.
Adding color to wood doesn’t need to be super messy or take a huge amount of time. It can be quick, easy, and clean. To start off, we’ll take a peek at one of the easiest wood-coloration techniques. This method uses an Exclusive Inks™ stamp pad and will only take you a few minutes from application until it’s completely dry!
Simply select the ink color you’d like to use and gently swipe the stamp pad over the surface of the wood with quick, dabbing motions, going with the grain. Going with the grain helps you to emphasize the natural beauty of the wood, while also protecting your stamp pad from getting scratched up or caught on the wood. As you’ll see in the video below, we left some of the wood grain visible for a more stained look, but you can make it as light or as dark as you’d like.
To achieve a softer, mottled look, try sponging the ink onto the wood.
Cut a Round Sponge into quarters. While gripping the point of one quarter with your fingers, gently load your sponge with ink by pouncing it on your stamp pad. Because the sponge absorbs the ink, it may not look like you have a lot on there, but you’ll have more ink than you think!
Once you’ve got your sponge inked and ready to go, use the same pouncing motion you used on the stamp pad to apply the color to the plywood. The ink will dry lighter than it looks while you apply it. For a darker, richer tone, you will have to apply additional layers of ink.
This next technique uses TriBlend™ markers. When using an alcohol-based marker to color wood, you’ll want to go in the direction of the grain and use a steady hand to achieve even color throughout.
Because you have greater control over color distribution when you use this method, you also have more control over the appearance of the colored wood. For instance, if you want a softer, lighter look, use a light hand and don’t go over the same spot too many times. For darker and richer tones, add more color layers to really get the pigment into the wood.
If you’re going for a darker color, don’t jam the marker tip into the wood, as this may damage your marker. Instead, go over the same area of the wood multiple times for color layering and try using a lighter shade of your TriBlend™ marker.
The last technique we’re showcasing today adds a bit of sparkle to your art. Heat embossing! (We went there, and it’s beautiful!)
First, place your wreath over a piece of scratch paper so you can catch any excess embossing powder. Then, begin by rubbing the surface of the wreath with an anti-static pouch. Apply VersaMark™ ink to the wreath, a few sections at a time, using the same pouncing motion you saw in our first technique. While the ink is still wet, sprinkle embossing powder over it, shake off any excess powder onto your scratch paper, and heat set with a heat tool. (Use your scratch paper to easily funnel your excess embossing powder back into its container for future use.)
We absolutely love these wreaths and National Papercrafting Month, because it really gets us thinking outside the box! We can’t wait to see all the different ways you choose to add color to your wreaths.
Remember, you can only get these gorgeous wreath kits until January 31, and if you buy four or more you even get a discount! Make sure to take full advantage of the All Around Creativity special while you still can. For a few of you who may be on the fence, we are giving away four of these kits to four lucky readers! For a chance to win, you must do two things. First, make sure you are subscribed to this blog. If you are not, find the blue button on the sidebar that says “Subscribe to list” and follow the prompts once you’ve clicked it. Second, leave us a comment below telling us what types of crafts you like to work out, outside of scrapbooking and cardmaking. You have until 12 p.m. (MST) Thursday, January 9, to submit your entries. All winners will be notified by email. Good luck and happy crafting!
Recipes
Create Wreath
CC12017 Create Wreath Kit, Z2848 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad
Stay Awhile Wreath
CC12019 Stay Awhile Wreath Kit, Z6512 Evergreen Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z697 Round Sponge
Grateful Wreath
CC12018 Grateful Wreath Kit, Z2478 Earth Brown TriBlend™ Marker
Be Kind Wreath
CC12016 Be Kind Wreath Kit, Z2850 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2835 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2812 Raspberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3293 Clear Shimmer Brush, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z697 Round Sponge, Z4249 Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder, Z4220 Anti-static Pouch, Z4252 Heat Tool
Thank you so much for this amazing video set! I have a group of ladies coming t d their Wreaths in a few weeks and this gives us a whole new set of things to do to our wreaths!! It is informative and given to us to share with our customers!!! Thank you CTMH
Sounds like a great time! Have fun! <3
Besides Cardmaking, I like to garden and I belong to two book clubs.
I love my Cricut Maker & Easy Press 2 together with the CTMH products! I made all my Christmas gifts to friends and family, I use the tools & material to create marketing material for my Poultry & Aviary bird business too, and my Craft room would look so awesome in a Create wreath in Wisteria ink. 🙂
I love home decor projects! These projects work great for my own house or to give as gifts!
I also like doing cross stitch!!
I enjoy painting and photography.
When I’m not paper-crafting inspirational and scripture plaques or making gift tags and bookmarks, I enjoy putting together floral arrangements and wreaths.
I love the idea of heat embossing the wreath! Thanks for the tips.
I also knit – hats, sweaters, scarves, although it has been awhile since my last project.
I’ve never thought of embossing on a frame; that’s genius! Thanks for the great idea. Outside of paper crafts, I like home decor crafts and jewelry making. I also incorporate stamping into my fabric crafts and clothing.
I only do paper crafts – no, really! I am not a good multitasker. LOL Thanks for a chance to win. 😀
🙂
These frames are beautiful! My absolute favorite craft is scrapbooking, but I also like making wood crafts for holiday decorations.
I enjoy doing Xmas craft and making decorations.
Just wondering how you coloured the flowers. Did you use the sponge and ink pad?
Thanks
Aren’t they pretty? Before assembling the flowers, we did sponge the edges of all of the petals with our Raspberry and Pixie Exclusive Inks™. If you look closely, you’ll see that the two flowers that have the Raspberry also have Pixie mixed in. The largest flower, for example, has its two largest layers of petals sponged in Raspberry and the remaining top three in Pixie. Once the flowers were assembled, we added some shimmer to their centers with a clear shimmer brush before finishing them off with loose gold sequins. This might be harder to see in the pictures and video, but the shimmer really makes a difference in making the flowers look more delicate.
I like to dabble in quilting, but I don’t get a chance to do that very often.
I also like simple sewing and quilting projects and knitting.
My other crafty pursuits are knitting& quilting. Love all crafts though, so have at least dabbled in many others.
I like to vinyl everything.
Aside from card making and scrapbooking, I pour acrylic paints, decorate for ballroom dancing events, sew! Most of my crafty time is spent getting ink on my fingers with CTMH!
In addition to papercrafts like cardmaking and scrapbooking, my first loves, I like using vinyl (on t-shirts and home decor) and making photo coasters.
I love the idea of finding different items to emboss, especially wooden embellishments. Embossing makes things pop and is the perfect amount of extra to add to your crafts!
These are just the thing to get my craft mojo back. I am excited to get some ordered. Thanks for the inking tips and ideas
Wow, I love your wreaths so much, I have just moved to Canada and realise that wreaths are a feature all year, the theme just changes. I am a scrapaholic from South Africa so we dont have CTMH there, I love off the page projects and card making and mixed media. I definitely think I have travelled the furthest to win some beautiful wreaths for my new home. Thank you so much.
We are happy to have you! Make sure you subscribe to this blog for a chance to win. <3
Thank you for showing the different ways to decorate the different wreaths, very interesting. Thank you for sending the blogs, I really enjoy them, and I love the different ideas that you share.
I also enjoy quilting, and painting signs or different objects. It really opens up a person to their creativity and to their imaginations, which is never ending.
First and foremost I am a papercrafter. Cards and Scrapbooking. But I am loving playing with vinyl lately and I love to make home decor projects. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
The wreaths are beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration! All things papercrafting are my favorites, but I also love flower arranging, baking, and photography!
If I can’t be making cards, I like to help my kids with all their crafting interests!
Besides CTMH I enjoy all types of sewing from garments, quilting, household crafts, toys, outdoors, etc. Mahalo for a great tutorial showing the versatility of this product and for the chance to win!🌴
Outside of card making I am learning how to work with vinyl. I’m in the process of labeling and organizing all the items in my kitchen pantry. Also like crafting with wine corks. I have a lot to use up! BTW, thanks for the idea of embossing the wreaths.
When I’m not making cards, I am crocheting or sewing.
Those are wonderful skills, Audrey!
Last year I started to get into book folding. I love it!
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