Hey crafters! I'm so excited to kick off my new series of project posts today. Every Tuesday you can look forward to a brand new CRAFT tutorial--from sewing to cooking to knitting and more. Let's start off with a fun paper project, shall we?
I was looking for a fun and inexpensive way to decorate gifts, and settled on these Comic Book Starbursts (maybe because I'm married to a cartoonist!). Of course you could use any kind of paper you like, be it scrapbook paper, hand-stamped construction paper, or even stiff fabric. Read on to find out how to do it!
You Will Need:
• Paper (Something not too stiff--I pulled a few nice pages out of an old, damaged comic book)
• Chipboard/cardboard
• Glitter (I used--and adore!--Crafty Chica glitter in "Goddess Gold")
• Large button
• Mod Podge (matte finish)
• Aleene's Tacky Glue
• Glue Stick
• Paint brush
• Ruler
• Scissors and/or X-Acto knife
Start off by cutting twelve 3" x 3" paper squares. Once you get the hang of making these starbursts, you can whip them up in any size you like.
Apply some glue to one edge of a paper square using your glue stick. I prefer the purple ones that turn clear when the glue is dry, since you can see exactly where you are applying it.
Before the glue dries, roll up your square and press two of the edges together to form a cone shape. Repeat with the remaining eleven squares and allow to dry.
Cut out a small circle (mine was about 2" in diameter, but you could definitely make it larger if you find it easier to handle) from chipboard and spread Tacky Glue on one side. Begin placing the paper cones on the glue. I like to start out by forming a cross shape with the paper cones to help keep things symmetrical.
Keep placing paper cones on the glue-covered circle until you have a filled-in star shape. Allow to dry.
Once the glue is dry, use a paint brush to apply Mod Podge to the inside of each paper cone. I was able to do two cones at a time before the Mod Podge dried. Don't apply too much, or it will soak your paper to the point of sogginess--you just want enough to allow the glitter to stick.
Sprinkle some glitter into each cone and turn the star over and around to spread the glitter, covering all the glued areas. I recommend working over a jelly roll pan or cardboard box lid lined with scrap paper so it's easy to clean up the excess glitter. If you don't cover all the glue on your first pass, pick up your scrap paper and funnel the glitter back into the cone and try again.
Squirt some Tacky Glue into the center of the star and plunk down your button. When dry, use double-stick tape to adhere the star to a gift box. Or turn it into a decoration by making a hole in one of the star's tips with a hole punch and threading through some string. Hang and enjoy!
I think this would look great in almost any sort of paper-scrapbook paper, origami, regular newspaper print-a whole new reason to hoard paper!
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It seems any paper could work or other flexible sheet.
12 points makes me think clock face. Glitter could be placed where you like with spray adhesive.
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I LOVE this- cool idea- my creative juices are flowing!
Using the comics has a very retro feel- love it, would also be cool for a kids room mobile.
I could see a grouping on a wall, maybe a couple of different sizes for an asymetrical effect, or a grid of three by three.
You could do a great "shabby chic" look with scrapbooking paper, or a 50's look with solid papers in turquoise, pink, lime green glitter and black paper outside (or vice versa-) whoa- killer- or a "craftsmen" look with earthy tones- maybe no glitter on that one- william morris paper with solids or "wood" paper.
Very cool.
different button styles of course.
ohhh- a glam one with big rhinestone button and feather center.
this would be cool to do with your "princess" girls.
Thanks for the great tutorial.
Love it. (again)
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Look at the expressions of horror on Huey, Louie, and Dewey's faces in that first pic. LOL! They're like, "WHAT?? We're about to become a WHAT?!?"
All in good fun, Jenny! It does look nice. And I guess you could use any paper that has consistent print on it to provide a pattern?
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"Any longtime comic book collector would feel an instant visceral spirit-curdling revulsion at this abuse of a Carl Barks comic."
Of course, any longtime comic book collector would have recognized the panels above as being by Tony Strobl, not Barks. :)
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it seems like it would be easier to apply the glitter to the inside of the cones PRIOR to gluing them down to the circle. Any reason why that wouldn't work well?
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I didn't have much of a problem applying ths glitter after the star was assembled, but I'm sure doing it the other way would totally work too...I really don't see why not! You could also just use sparkly Mod Podge (the kind with glitter already in it) or a simliar product. Thanks for the great suggestion, I'll try it this way next time!
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Gaaah. Any longtime comic book collector would feel an instant visceral spirit-curdling revulsion at this abuse of a Carl Barks comic. I'm glad to hear the book was already damaged, but I hope no clueless crafter vandalizes an intact book for this project.
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Hi Allen, just to put your mind at ease—I'm a lifelong comic fan (if given the choice I'd rather buy art than pay my rent!) with a definite appreciation for a collector mentality. I feel blessed to own some truly awesome original comic art from folks like Bushmiller and Crumb, so I totally know where you're coming from. All that said, I decided I'd rather turn these loose pages into a piece of art for my family to appreciate than let them languish in a box somewhere unseen.
Also, you don't have to use paper from a comic book. ;)
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Happy to see you here!!!! And the project is sew darn adorable!! Thank you for the glitter money shot! xox!
Kathy :-)
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Thank YOU for making such great glitter!!
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