Christmas is just around the corner, so there is no better time to experiment with crafts such as making your own cards, wrapping paper and decorations. Heat embossing adds personal touches to cards, gifts and your own home as well as helps you to harness the de-stressing power of getting creative.
Embossing powder and the process of heat embossing is an easy, cheap and quick way to create some really stunning effects and this guide is here to help you every step of the way. Let’s begin by getting to grips with what embossing powder is.
What is Embossing Powder?
Embossing powder is made of finely ground resin or polymer and a mild solvent adhesive, which is used for heat embossing. When left like this, it will create a clear embossing powder.
However, it is often mixed with coloured pigment ink, pigment powders and/or glitter to create a different look.
How Does Embossing Powder Work?
Here is your step-by-step guide to using embossing powder during the heat embossing process.
1. Preparing Your Materials
You will need:
- A heat tool/heat gun.
- Your chosen embossing powder.
- Card stock.
- Ink/Ink pad.
- Stamp/Stamped image.
- Craft mat.
- You might want to practice on some scrap paper first.
- A static bag is also useful to help prevent any stray particles from escaping.
2. Inking Your Stamp
The ink is what your embossing powder will stick to, so begin by stamping or stencilling your design onto your cardstock (use the static bag first to give you more control over the powder).
3. Apply the Embossing Powder
The key to this embossing technique is applying the embossing powder while the ink is still wet. Sprinkle the powder over the image.
Remove any excess powder by tapping the card in an upright position and catching it on a separate piece of card. You can then use a funnel to return it to the pot.
4. Heat Set the Powder
Use your heat tool to gently and evenly heat the image coated in the embossing powder to melt it. Move the heat gun steadily and slowly as the powder melts.
Give your embossed image time to cool before touching it or doing anything else to the image to ensure it is properly dry.
What Does Embossing Powder Do?
The finely ground resin or polymer in embossing powders is thermo-active; meaning it melts when heated. This creates embossing or raised effects which add dimension to your crafted items, metallic or glossy finishes, or additional textured elements.
Embossing Powder Beyond Paper
Once you have tried a few different embossing techniques, a few different embossing powders and colours and some different styles of embossed images to add textured elements to card and paper, it’s time for the next step.
You can use embossing powders on the surface of wood and fabric too using the same methods as above.
Choosing the Right Embossing Powder
There are three main options for embossing powders. Ultrafine embossing powders, regular embossing powders and ultra thick embossing powder.
Use the fine powders for very detailed work and the thicker ones for covering larger areas.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoy experimenting and getting creative with embossing powder and heat emboss some great cards, wrapping papers and gifts tags this Christmas.