Crackle Technique For Greeting Cards

A crackle technique gives you that old paper looks to all your paper projects. There are actually different ways of doing this. One applies the glue first; another applies the glue last. Give both a try and see which one works best for you. A third technique just uses the crackle medium rather than glue. 

 

This is a great technique for art journals and altered books. This can be used inside journals and on the cover pages too. You can also make greeting cards using the same technique.

Try using it to create a different effect on scrapbook pages.

You can also do a big crackle sheet on a 12" by 12" piece of heavy cardstock or cardboard. Then once the paper is finished and has dried, cut into tags, belly bands and corners for your journal.

The technique uses a base coat of paint, the crackle and a topcoat of paint. However, you can skip the base coat of paint if you use solid color cardstock.

Ranger Crackle Medium

What we also did find is some crackle mediums that were available from Ranger. One is a texture paste that has an opaque crackle effect You can use it with stencils or to create textures. You can customize the paste by inking or painting directly over the dry paste. Another product to consider is Ranger Crackle Accents. This product is a 3-dimensional gloss medium that dries to a crackled finish. Could be used over stamped images or in specific areas. Has a thin precise tip that is good for using on stickers and small images.

Texture Paste

Texture paste is a thick material used to add thickness and texture to paper craft projects. Generally, you would use a palette knife to remove and spread the paste from the jar. One thing to know about this product is that it can dry very quickly. Which means that when not in use, you need to secure the lid on tightly. You can add a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar to make sure that no air gets into the jar while it is being stored. 

It can take an average of 3 minutes to 25 minutes for the paste to air dry, depending on the thickness of the application. 

Anytime that you use texture paste, you want to make sure to clean up as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be difficult to remove the paste from your workspace once it is dry. Clean up with warm soapy water as soon as possible. I like to keep some wet rags in a zip lock bag by my work area to wipe up right away. You could also use baby wipes or disinfectant wipes to clean up as you work.

Option 1-Using Gesso And Craft Glue

Supplies

• Acrylic paint in the color of your choice
• White craft glue- Elmers Glue seems to be popular.
• Brush to apply the paint.
• Large brush to apply the glue.
• Journal page or
• Heavy cardstock (110 lb.)
• Paint brushes.
• Silicone craft mat or parchment paper

1. Apply a coat of Gesso to you page or card front It comes in black, white and clear. Using the black Gesso means that you will see the crackles right away. Allow the Gesso to dry at least 15-20 minutes. If you go before it dries, you will not get the crackle effect.
2. If the Gesso feels cold, it is probably dry enough.
3. Lay down a coat of the acrylic paint in the color of your choice.
4. Allow the paint to dry. Acrylic paint dries fairly quickly.
5. Once the paint is dry, cover the piece all over with the white glue.
6. Wait till the glue has become tacky. Everyone will say that means something different. My best suggestion is that it is tacky when you put your finger into it and no glue remains on your finger.
7. You will want the whole page to dry at the same time. so make sure to spread the glue as evenly as possible.
8. Allow the project to dry overnight and enjoy the results.

Note: If you want to use this to make greeting cards, I will use a 110lb paper or some watercolor paper.at

Option Two-Applying The Glue First

1. Apply a coat of Gesso to you page or card front It comes in black, white and clear. Using the black Gesso means that you will see the crackles right away. Allow the Gesso to dry at least 15-20 minutes. If you go before it dries, you will not get the crackle effect.
2. If the Gesso feels cold, it is probably dry enough.
3. Apply a nice even coat of glue to your surface, use a soft or foam brush to apply either a horizontal or vertical stroke. You will only need a tablespoon of glue or a bit more depending on the size of your surface.
4. Let the glue dry until it is almost transparent (a thick coat of glue could take up to 48 hours) It should be just slightly tacky to the touch.
5. Load your paintbrush with a healthy amount of acrylic paint. You want to have enough paint on the brush to cover the surface in one stroke. You want to go across the card horizontally. If you do not have enough paint to make it across in one pass, reload and go across the surface again. 
6. You should start seeing the crackles right away. The surface will continue to crackle until it dries.

Option 3- Using Crackle Medium

Supplies

• Heavy cardstock (110lb) cardboard or chipboard
• Acrylic paint
• Brushes
• Crackle paste.
• Silicone craft mat or parchment paper taped down with low tack tape.

1. Apply acrylic paint to the paper in any pattern or design desired.
2. Let it air dry until it is totally dry.
3. Before applying the crackle medium to your paper, make sure to stir it with a craft stick so that you do not get any air bubbles on your finished project. Never shake the jar!
4. Apply the crackle medium to the paper with a brush.
5. Let the paper air dry till almost totally dry.
6. Apply a topcoat of paint to the project. You will see the crackle start forming almost right away.
7. Let that dry. 

• Do not water down glue.
• Do not use any kind of heat to speed drying.
• The lighter the coat of crackle, the finer the crackles will be. Heavier coats of crackle will result in heavier chunky crackles.
• Your crackles will appear the way that you applied your paint. So, if you want random crackles, apply the paint multiple different directions.
• You may see some curling of the paper after you apply and dry the crackle medium. If you have any curling, just place the paper under a heavy book once the medium is dry.
• Try using a sea sponge, household sponge and rags to apply the medium to get different effects.

   

Here is another option-Crackle Over Glitter

Ranger Distress Crackle Technique

There was a product made by Tim Holtz at Ranger which was called Distress Crackle paint. If you go to the Ranger website, it states that it has been retired, However, I did see the product at Amazon. How long it may be available is anyone's guess. It is a one step process that can be used on any scrapbook page. Here is a video that shows you how to use it. Lowe's and Home Depot say they have it according to Google.  This is a one-step easy technique.

Till next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda