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This article is written by Shari Welch

Recently while cleaning my studio, I noticed that my wood bin had turned into 2 wood bins. I guess it was time to use some of those recycled wood pieces. I love creating handmade decorations for the holidays. What makes it even better is being able to recycle as well.

I am fortunate to have a creative reuse store in my town. SCRAP Denton is where 75% or more of my materials come from. You can also visit habitat for humanity stores and scrap wood bins at your local home improvement. Construction sites are begging to get rid of their small scraps of wood.

The first technique I will be doing is a crackling effect. There are a number of crackle products on the market and I have tried them all. I have found that I seem to get the best results using Elmer’s glue.

First I painted the pieces the color I wanted the cracks to be. I decided to do this technique on the sides, top, and bottom so I taped the edges with painters tape. I applied a medium amount of Elmer’s glue. To achieve a smooth coverage I use my finger to spread the glue. You want to let the glue sit for a minute. The glue should be tacky not dry.

Next you want to use an inexpensive scruffy brush to apply the top coat like the one in a photo. I brush on the paint in random directions making sure that the bristles are slightly breaking through the glue. It will start to crackle almost immediately. TIP…. I suggest practicing this technique on a scrap piece of wood before you start your final project.

I found that leaving it alone for a few hours or even better over night gave me the best crackle results.

For the front and back I applied printed tissue paper with PPA adhesive. This adhesive is perfect for thin papers. Instead of a smooth application I choose to leave it a little wrinkly.

The next technique used was distressing. I used Tim Holtz distress ink in black soot for the edges.

To finish this project I glued all the pieces together, added some images, yarn and shiny embellishments.

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Shari Welch is a mixed media artist living in Denton Texas. She is known for using reuse and recycle materials in her artwork. She volunteers for SCRAP Denton  where she is on the education committee, teaches workshops, art camp, and performs art demos. She is passionate about mixed media art and enjoys helping others discover their creativity.

You can follow Shari and see her mixed media art at facebook.com/my.altered.life and on her blog Shariwelch.blogspot.com

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