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!
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