Craft Recipes

Here are some craft recipes that may save you a little money -- and add to your "craft satisfaction."

Do not eat them.

For us, part of the satisfaction of making something comes from REALLY making it. From scratch. We believe that crafting and scrapbooking has to be much more than assembling things made by someone else. That is why these home-made craft recipes are so much fun. When you start to make your own supplies and materials -- it emboldens your pioneering spirit. Or, your inner miser. Your choice.

Crackle Medium for Paint
Craquelure Varnish Finish
Blender Pen Refill (water-based)
Lick-and-Stick Envelope Glue
Tea Stain for Paper or Natural Fabric

Crackle Medium for Paint

You know what a crackle paint finish looks like; old paint that has weathered the years under the sun, with an alligator-skin texture showing the old paint color in the cracks through the newer paint. You can imitate it in a few hours. The process has three steps: paint the undercoat color; brush on the clear crackle medium and let it dry; and brush on the contrasting top coat color. As it dries, it will crack.

The cracking is caused by the crackle medium absorbing moisture from the top coat of paint, swelling and stretching, and tearing the paint apart.

You can buy crackle medium or entire kits at a craft store. Trust us; this is the easiest and most predictable way of getting the effect. If you are a brave soul, you can make your own crackle medium.

The recipe for crackle medium is simple:

Hide glue (popular brands are Gorilla or Titebond). This glue is used in furniture construction and is derived from "collagen", which is a protein constituent of skin, bone and connective tissue, usually from cows. It can be purchased in liquid form, or as a dry powder that must be mixed with water and heated. A fluid ounce will cover two square feet.
Water

This process only works with acrylic (water-based) paints, and matte finish paints are better. Choose two contrasting colors. Paint your project with the base color and let it dry. Brush on a coat of hide glue with a wide foam or bristle brush (you may dilute it slightly, which will make the cracks smaller). Let it dry thoroughly - like a day. When you brush on the topcoat of paint, use a wide brush and cover as much area as possible with one coat, avoiding overlapping strokes. The paint will begin to separate immediately, forming the cracks. A light coat of paint will form thin cracks, and a heavy coat will form larger cracks.

Once it has dried, you can antique the finish by rubbing in a dark acrylic or oil paint wash, to accentuate the aged appearance.

Craquelure Varnish Finish

This technique results in an aged varnish finish, veined with fine cracks like old porcelain or a Stradivarius. Very simply, it is a slow-drying varnish topcoated with a fast-drying varnish. When the undercoating finally dries, it shrinks, cracking the top varnish. You can get the effect with:

Oil-based varnish (not the fast-drying kind)
Boiled linseed oil (a few drops for a half-cup of varnish)
Fast-drying water-based varnish
Dark oil glaze, like artist oil paint

Add the boiled linseed oil to the oil-based varnish (to retard drying). Coat the surface evenly and thinly with the oil-based varnish. When the first coat starts to get tacky, apply a generous coat of the quick-drying water-based varnish. Let it dry for two hours. The cracks may not be visible. To accentuate the cracks, rub a dark oil glaze over the entire surface and wipe clean with a lint-free cloth. Let it dry for three days. Coat with an oil-based varnish. (Try this technique on the Antique Blocks!)

Blender Pen Refill (waterbased)

Don't buy new blender pens - refill them with this simple recipe.

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons glycerin (available at pharmacy or craft stores)
5 tablespoons distilled water
1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol

Mix the ingredients in a jar. Gently pull your pen tips out of the pen and soak them in the solution for an hour. Replace one tip, use an eyedropper to fill the pen with solution, and replace the other tip.

Lick-and-Stick Envelope Glue

This gets passed around like a favorite cookie recipe. It is a must if you are making notecards as gifts.

6 tablespoons white vinegar
4 1-oz. packets of unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon flavoring (peppermint extract is traditional)

Boil vinegar in a small pan. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add flavoring. Store in a tight jar in the refrigerator. If the glue solidifies in the jar, open the jar and melt it again with a few seconds in the microwave, or in a pan of hot water. To use, brush a thin layer on the envelope flap and let dry. Lick and stick!

Tea Stain for Paper or Natural Fabric

When a piece of paper or fabric isn't quite aged enough, you can speed up the clock with a nice cup of tea. You'll get a warm brown patina with some darker age spots.

Two tea bags
One quart of water

Boil the water and pour over the tea bag in a flat pan (large enough to lay the paper in). For a light stain, let it steep for an hour. For deeper shades, double the amount of tea bags and the steeping time. Move the tea bag around on the paper for stained spots. When you have steeped enough, remove your items and spread them on paper towels to dry overnight. If the paper curls when dry, press it flat again under a weight or with a warm iron. By the way; scented tea, like cinnamon or herbal, will scent the paper or fabric. Or try brewed coffee for a deeper brown color. (Try aging some sheet music for our Wedding Scrapbook page)

(More to come)

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