Hi everyone, Mollie here! So far all of my blogs have been quite complex and have needed a large commitment time-wise. So with this blog I wanted to create something much simpler and easier, but with a very beautiful result all the same.
I have accumulated a lot of jewelry gift boxes over the last few years. I am all about re-purposing and this project is no different. I have decorated 2 boxes so far and they are going to make any gifts I put inside them extra special! My boxes are teeny-tiny, but this method would work on a box of any size as long as you have the right sized gel plate to go with it.
I have used metallic paints because I knew they would look gorgeous contrasting with the black card. The specific paint is Pebeo Studio Acrylics Dyna and I have listed the colours I used below.
Start by cutting out a frame to fit over your box leaving a window to print onto. This will mean you do not have to perfectly register your gel plate with each colour and will give you clean lines.
I would recommend gently taping it to the side of the box on 2 opposite sides. I used masking tape and pressed it onto my jeans to make it less tacky (so that it didn’t tear the side of the box when I removed it).
Start with your background colour. I picked gold (350) and if you are using a mini plate remember you only need a tiny amount of paint. Roll it out evenly and if you think you have too much clean off your brayer and roll again until even.
Place the gel plate on top of the box/window and press carefully onto the back of the gel plate (you will need to remove the acrylic plate if your gel plate is attached to one). Really concentrate on the edges or you will not get clean lines
Next roll out your second colour (357). Then crumple up a piece of paper, smooth it out a little and press down on the gel plate to create a texture. I then tore uneven strips of paper as stencils and pressed them onto the plate before printing the next layer.
Here is the result so far.
I added a 3rd layer of paint (356), used more crumpled paper to create texture again, and thinner strips of torn paper this time. I turned the plate by 90 degrees when I printed this layer so the new ‘stripes’ were perpendicular to the first layer.
For my final layer I added some of the pink used previously (356) and some paint with a redder tone (354) which mixed together a little as I rolled them out.
I tore new much curvier paper strips for my final layer and did not use any crumpled paper, leaving the paint smooth.
Once I had printed my final layer and let the paint dry (as I was using regular acrylic paint it really didn’t take long and meant the whole process was quite quick, unlike when using open acrylics, I carefully peeled off the paper strips, masking tape and lifted off the window. Here is the final result! A photograph really doesn’t do it justice as the paint is iridescent, but it does look really lovely and didn’t take long at all. I think you could decorate quite a few boxes in about an hour, if you got a production line going. I’m thinking they would make great boxes to put handmade truffles in as Christmas gifts, and I’ve got 3 months to decorate lots of boxes ready for some delicious handmade truffles!
As always, please share your decorative boxes with me on Instagram (@artwithmollie) as I love to see you what you make – thanks! Happy printing, Mollie x
MATERIALS:
- Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate – size to suit your box – I used my square mini plate
- Old gift boxes or any sturdy boxes with a lid (e.g high end beauty products box)
- Thin card cut to a window the same size as your box
- Metallic acrylic paint – I have used the colours: 350, 353, 356, 357, 358, 360
- Brayer – size to suit your plate – I used my 2 inch brayer
- Ruler
- Set square
- Blade or scalpel
- Paper to crumple and tear into strips
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Very nice!!! Beautiful!