| Pressed-Cotton Cards and Gift Tags |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-156 |
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Debbie Stapley, host of Crafts & Company, adds gift tags with just the right message to complete the look of a package. She explains how to mold unique gift tags using pressed cotton and terra-cotta molds. Materials:
Cotton Press® Gift Card Kit (including pressed cotton, terra-cotta cookie mold and paper stabilizer)
Cooking-oil spray
Water
Blender
Strainer
Mixing bowl
Paper towels
Kitchen knife
Sponge
Terrycloth towel
- Prepare the terra-cotta mold by spraying it with cooking oil. Wipe off the excess with paper towels.
- Place 1 quart of water in a blender. Add one sheet of pressed cotton. Blend 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture through a strainer, removing about a third of the water.
- Pick up a handful of the pulp, and place it on the mold. Spread it around the mold with your fingers, overlapping the edges slightly. The uneven edges will give the paper a handmade look (figure A).
- Tap the pulp with the edge of a kitchen knife to make sure it's distributed in all the crevices of the mold (figure B).
- Press a sponge over the pulp to remove excess water (figure C). Next, press a terrycloth towel over the pulp to remove even more water.
- Dry the pulp by baking it in the oven at 250 degrees for an hour, putting it in the microwave for a few minutes, or blowing it with a hairdryer for a few minutes until it is dry enough to come out of the mold. Slide a kitchen knife under the paper, and lift if out of the mold (figure D).
- Leave the pressed cotton plain, or paint as desired, using acrylic paints or markers. Or use powdered eyeshadow and a cotton swab to color the paper (figure E).
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