It's no secret that simple stationary items have some extra-ordinary uses. Take packing tape... bet you didn't know it's one of the best ever mediums to make quick and classy transfers - here's how - and don't forget you can click on the image to enlarge it.What you'll need;
- Packing tape - it's sticky tape which is wide & clear
- Scissors
- A favorite image from an old magazine (the nicer the image the nicer the end result - but practice on other images first - words, crosswords, and black and whites all work well for this project) - I used a vase of flowers for Mothers Day.
To make your sticky tape transfer you need to:
- Cut your image out of the magazine. Be sure to over cut (that is - leave lots of room around the image) and then carefully lay the sticky tape over the image, remembering the end result can be as long as you like (sticky tape is pretty long!) but will always be the width of the tape so center it as best you can, and then cut the top and bottom of the tape so that it is a straight line, in line with your image.
- Lay the sticky-tape-picture in water for a few seconds (you can even just run it under the tap). Almost straight away any excess paper on either side of the tape can be torn off.
- Now turn the sticky-tape-picture over and slowly start to rub the paper off the back of the tape. The front will be a shiny surface, with the image showing through. The more you rub, the more of the papered back you will rub off, so go slow, to be sure you get the look you want.
Once you have your transfer you can a) stick it on decorative paper and turn it into a card, b) put it on the window as a mini stained glass showcase, c) use it as a glossy piece of mini-wrap to decorate a gift box and use other transfers on (Valentines Day) printpapers, patterned papers and plain to make an assortment of bookmarks, gift tags mini art works and so on.
HINTS for each step:
- Pick strong images - small detail will literally get rubbed off.
- Less is more here - poor quality paper will fall apart under the water faster than good quality, so go slow.
- Experiment - if you look closely in picture 'c' you'll see that there are parts of the transfers that are transparent and the coloured paper behind is very visible, and then there are other sections which are 'cloudy' with the original white paper - be sure to include at least some transparent parts, otherwise the end result will look too much like the original magazine clipping.
If you haven't got something for Mum this Mother's Day, why not send her the link to PartyCraft Secrets... it's never to late to help someone find their crafty side - ha ha - now go on you lot... go get crafty! x
