How-Tuesday: Pinprick Cards

julieincharge

Story by julieincharge

Published on Jan 25, 2011 in Make

Photo by Yellow Owl Workshop

Sometimes the sweetest projects require the humblest of materials. For this week’s How-Tuesday, Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop fame, sheds light on her paper alchemy with a lightning fast greeting card project, straight from the pages of her top-notch new book, Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques + Truly Original Projects. If you’re looking for a high-class, low-budget valentine to make with your Etsy Meetup group for the Special Delivery Project, this project could be the ticket!

This is a fast and simple way to make some cool stationery with a relief texture even five minutes before you have to go to a party. And the best part is you already have everything you need. This is a form of debossing; embossing (pressing in) and debossing (pressing out) are the two forms of blind, or “without ink,” printing. Also, die-cutting makes a hole the same size as the die. For example, a hole punch makes a die cut because it cuts the same size shape out every time.

 

Purchase your own copy of Print Workshop on Amazon or from an independent bookseller near you.

Materials you’ll need:

  • Photocopy of a template or your own artwork
  • Pencil
  • Blank stationary cards and envelopes
  • Cardboard
  • Pushpin

Directions:

1. Hold the template or artwork copy up to a sunlit window and trace with pencil.

2. Place the unfolded card face down on cardboard and place the template, pencil side up, on the card.

3. Holding the pushpin with your thumb and pointer finger, press it through the lines in the
template.

4. Repeat until you have traced the template with pinholes.

Tip: If you find your template or card is moving around, secure it to the cardboard with drafting tape.

Another idea: Wrap the finished paper around a votive candle.

 

Thank you to Christine Schmidt and the good folks at Potter Craft for sharing this project with us. For more hand-printing techniques, check out Print Workshop.

Paper Projects | More How-Tuesday Posts | Cards on Etsy

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