Create 3D Paper Sculpture Jewelry, Home Décor and Gifts

By Karen Elizabeth Halbrook www.bayoudreamer.com

Paper is one of the most popular materials in crafting today. Beautiful, versatile and relatively inexpensive, paper allows artists to constantly expand their skills and creativity. Sculpture, collage and innovative paper techniques, materials and tools have created a medium that artists all over the world are happily embracing. Paper jewelry can be absolutely stunning and is durable enough to be made up into designs for rings, bracelets, brooches and so much more. Use your imagination – paper can be�stitched and embroidered, decoupaged, laminated, folded, cast in molds, and numerous other techniques. Inspiration abounds. This is a great process to make truly unique and beautiful gifts. These techniques are not only for creating custom jewelry. You can also easily make hair ornaments, bookmarks, adornments and embellishments for altered books, art projects, decorative mobiles, hanging ornaments --- the list is as long as your imagination. Images are available from numerous sources, or you can create your own. Some of my favorite images are fantasy subjects such as fairies, mermaids and other mythical creatures. At the end of this tutorial I have listed a few suggestions of where you can find some truly extraordinary images. I have used the techniques in this book to create intricate shadow box art, Christmas ornaments, unusual picture frames and many more items over the years. Most of the time people don’t believe that the object is made of paper until they pick it up and see how lightweight it is. The jewelry is easy to package and ship. Several pieces will easily fit into the small priority flat rate mailer for inexpensive shipping. One important feature of this business is that the materials to get started don’t cost much at all. You can check the process out to see how well it works for you without having to make a large upfront investment. Your workspace can be something as simple as a desktop or the kitchen table and you can keep all of your supplies and equipment stored in a large plastic container. This is the perfect business for beginners:

• Very low start up costs • No experience needed to create a stunning finished project • Unlimited supply of images • Minimal amount of work space required • Numerous products can be produced using the same techniques • Easy to streamline production, yet keep the finished products OOAK • Make lovely personalized gifts inexpensively

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PAPER SCULPTURE BUTTERFLY PIN OR HAIR ORNAMENT TUTORIAL This tutorial will show you how to turn this….

Into this …

Supplies Needed

• Graphic to scan, OR several sheets of the same graphic -- or feel free to use my butterfly graphic. I have placed the image on the last page of this tutorial.

• Basic Photo editor if using scanned graphic, and printer • Decoupage Medium – I prefer Royal Coat • Adhesive – I like to use Quick Grip • Wax paper • 4” 24 gauge copper wire • Small metal pin back for making lapel pin or plastic comb if you prefer to make a

hair ornament • Acrylic clear coat finish in matte or shiny

Tools Needed

• Various brushes for applying decoupage medium • An orange stick – the kind used to push back fingernail cuticles • A six inch plastic ruler • Assorted small scissors, embroidery and/or manicure scissors work well • Tweezers • Small pliers and cutters for fine gauge wire • Bamboo skewers or toothpicks

Directions I chose this colorful butterfly from a sheet of purchased stickers. Your picture does not need to be a sticker, it can be a photograph, or any picture that you like as long as it can be scanned to your computer and reproduced so that you have 3 – 4 copies of the same image in exactly the same size. Michael’s and other craft stores sell sheets of images designed especially for decoupage. If you use these images first glue them to card stock or other sturdy paper and glaze them as noted below before cutting them out. Another alternative is to purchase a package of note cards with a design you like and cut the images from the note cards. Note cards generally come six or twelve to a package. I have made several of these projects using pictures of antique dolls, as many of my friends are doll collectors. I have Microsoft Photodraw bundled into my computer so I use that for most of my projects. Even a basic photo editor should have the necessary features for you to complete this part of the project.

The first step is to get a clear, detailed scan of your image. This shows the sticker scanned.

Once you have the graphic scanned and saved, use your editing tools to cut out the form of the butterfly (or whatever graphic you plan to have as the pin). Save the cutout image to a new file.

Open another new file and import your image to the blank page. Now you can play around with sizing and positioning.

I found that I could get the four large butterflies needed for the sculpture as well as many smaller ones on one sheet of 8 ½ by 11 paper. If printing the graphics on your home computer be sure to set the page aside so the ink has plenty of time to dry. *****Sidenote You can get a better quality graphic sheet by printing out a master copy onto 60 # bright white cardstock and taking it to a professional copier such as Kinko’s or Office Depot. You should be able to get a nice laser printed full color copy on good bond paper for under a dollar per sheet. Label the master copy on the back and keep it filed for use in future projects. End sidenote*****

My favorite decoupage medium to use is Royal Coat Decoupage Finish by Plaid. It is readily available at most craft stores, is acid free and comes in gloss or satin finish.

You can use any white glue, diluted with water as long as it dries clear. I prefer to always use the Royal Coat because I can depend on the results with this product. Lay your sheet of graphics on wax paper, then using a 1” brush, dip the brush into the decoupage medium and brush it over your graphics. The first coat should be light and brush it quickly over the graphic to set the ink. Brush only in one direction for each coat. I generally brush diagonally from the bottom left corner to the top right corner first, then using overlapping diagonal strokes finish the page from top to bottom. When the first coat is dry repeat the procedure brushing in the opposite direction. Tips for applying decoupage medium:

• Use several light coats • Allow the medium to dry between coats • Alternate directions of brush strokes with each coat • Have a pair of tweezers handy to pluck out any brush hairs that stick to the page

while the medium is still wet. • Use a hair dryer to speed up drying time. Only do this if your hairdryer has a low

setting and only use it on low. Once your graphics sheet is completely dry then you can cut out your pictures.

The paper sculpture butterfly lapel pin uses four layers of the same graphic.

Use embroidery and/or manicure scissors for cutting out small images and doing cutaways. It is very important that all cuts be very clean

The first layer is the base of the sculpture so it is cut out with the picture completely intact. In this case I did not try to cut out the antennae, as I knew that I would be replacing that with wire. Often little details in the original picture can be added as embellishments to the top layer or the project. Often I will put tiny ribbon bows on my doll pins or use tiny beads as buttons on their frocks. These little embellishments will go on last. Each successive layer is cut away more and more to reveal the base image. For this sculpture I did cut away most of the body of the butterfly on layers two and three, but left it on the base and on layer four. I did this to cut down of the bulk of the sculpture. Certain elements are left intact on each layer to provide contact points for gluing the sculpture. I kept the top leading edge of the wings and sections of the dotted border along the bottom of the wings for this sculpture.

The next step is to crease and fold the wings to add dimension. It is the 3D effect that makes these paper sculptures really stand out as something special. Use an orange stick – the kind used to push back nail cuticles – and a small plastic ruler. Turn the butterfly over and use the orange stick to lightly crease the wing along the body. Turn the butterfly back to the front, lay the ruler right against the line of the crease and gently fold the wing toward the body. Do this for each wing.

Next you will curl the wings to enhance the 3D appearance of the sculpture. Do this the same way you would curl ribbon when wrapping a package. Place the orange stick underneath the wing. Place your thumb on top of the wing with light pressure against the orange stick. Hold the body of the butterfly with your other hand and then very gently pull the wing over the orange stick to form a curl. Do this with each layer. Be careful not to tear the wings.

Now you should have four segments curled and ready to glue.

You can use the decoupage medium to glue the layers in place. Paint the back of each layer completely with the medium, align the layers top and bottom and gently press into place making sure to keep the 3D shape of the butterfly. Let this dry. Once this is dry use the clear coat acrylic

Any varnish that is suitable for acrylics will work for this project. You may choose a gloss finish or matte finish, depending on the look you want to achieve. I like to use at least three coats of varnish. Let the surface dry between coats; apply each coat in a different direction. Once you have applied a layer of varnish set the object in a clean, dust free, ventilated space to dry between coats.

Cut a piece of 24gauge copper wire about 4” long. Fold the wire in half. Use a pair of pliers to crease the fold. Gently pull the wires into the shape of a V. If you have a pair of round nose pliers use them to start a small circle at the tip of each wire end, squeeze closed with pliers.

Hold the small circle between your thumb and finger and turn in a circular motion to make the spiral of the antennae. If you prefer a curly antennae wind each end of the wire several times around a toothpick or small nail to form a tight coil. Remove the toothpick and using the tweezers grab the end of the wire and gently pull to loosen the coil. Hold the antennae wire behind the sculpture. When you find the most pleasing arrangement turn the sculpture over and make a mark where the V end of the wire is. Place a dot of adhesive (For this I like to use Quick Grip all-purpose permanent adhesive. You can buy this at Wal-Mart)

Open up the pin back. Insert the V of the wire between the base layer and the pin back then place a small piece of cardboard over the pin back so you can push gently to get a good stick on all three, while protecting your fingers from the adhesive. Make sure that the pin back is straight. Once the contact feels stable set this aside and allow to dry for several hours or overnight. Finish the sculpture by sealing the entire front of the pin with an acrylic glaze. I used a high gloss for mine, but a satin finish looks nice as well.

You can also cut a ‘button’ of lightweight cardboard and glue that to the back of the object before gluing the pin back on. This will give a more stable foundation for the pin back. When using the cardboard button the wire antennae should go between the button and the back of the object. Then glue the pin back onto the button. You can see how lovely this is on the lapel of a jacket. It also looks fabulous when pinned into a hatband. I always get loads of compliments when I wear it that way.

Although the finished object is fairly strong it still should be stored in its own small box or someplace where it is not likely to be jostled or crushed by other pieces of jewelry. Or turn it into a piece of wall art when note being worn.

Mount a small box frame on the wall (without the glass) and put a tiny hook in the center. When the pin back is closed the bar of the pin will rest on the hook giving you an instant decorative sculpture!

When I made this butterfly I created a special trinket box to go with it. As you can see I store the butterfly in the lid of the trinket box. I leave the box open. It brings a bit of spring to my room even on the grayest of days. A small decorative frame on the wall would serve the same purpose. When the object gets dusty simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth. No worries wearing this jewelry in the rain, the acrylic finish will protect it. But don’t ever immerse it in water to clean it as that may cause it to soften and crumple.

Ten top reasons to make a 3D paper sculpture object

1. The project makes up quickly. If you want to several at once, print and glaze all the sheets at the same time. Set up a production line for each step of the process.

2. Each one is unique and as original as you want to make it. Even if you start with ten sheets of the same image, by altering the subsequent steps and adding different embellishments you can produce ten different finished items.

3. The objects can be easily customized. Add names, photos, make them in special colors, do themes -- there are many ways to make them special for your customer

4. One of a kind gifts are always appreciated, especially if the recipient knows you made it especially for them.

5. Combine flowers to make a gorgeous Mother’s day corsage that she will cherish for years to come.

6. Make unique party favors for bridal showers and baby showers. 7. The materials are very inexpensive. You can make up dozens for less than $10.00

invested in materials. 8. These make special embellishments for scrapbooks, altered books and other forms

of altered art. 9. Bookmarks are a fun and whimsical way to use 3D paper sculptures for truly

unique and special gifts. 10. Use the beautiful 3D paper sculptures you make for custom gift cards, package

decorations or greeting cards The paper sculptures are very sturdy; however, if you plan to make an object larger than about six inches such as a picture frame or package decoration, or an object that will be handled, such as napkin rings, you want to make certain that you have the proper support for the structure. Things that hang like mobiles and tree ornaments usually don’t need extra support. Using tiny images for earrings and pendants does require a bit more skill and patience – not to mention good eyesight. My weakened vision prevents me from making the very tiny sculptures any longer, but a few years ago I made a stunning earring and pendant set of paper snowflakes for my daughter (She runs a ski lodge during the winter) and she still wears them every season. The acrylic finish makes the paper strong enough to last a long time with appropriate care.

Paper Jewelry Artists Paper is lightweight, durable, and versatile. You will find it available in a million patterns and colors. No wonder artists are using this medium to create stunning jewelry and earning a nice full time income while expressing their creative vision. Just to stimulate your muse, here are a couple of successful paper jewelry artists. Take a look at their work. Susan Gould of San Francisco uses paper to create jewelry and shadow box art. These are the tiniest shadowboxes I have ever seen. They are essentially 3D paper sculpture jewelry. http://www.shadowboxart.com/ Karen-Marie Fabricius is an artist who has turned her deep fascination with paper and the endless creative possibilities it offers into a wonderfully creative business. She is a world-renowned designer in the paper-craft field. Her designs are sold all over Europe, Iceland, and the United States. Paper Couture™ (offered in the U.S. through Plaid) is Karen-Marie's latest success. When you purchase one of these unique jewelry-making kits you get everything you need to create exquisite matching ensembles, including specially formulated paints and glues to increase the durability of your projects http://www.plaidonline.com/articleDetail.asp?entry=article&articleID=320

This is a type of paper sculpture that is slightly different. The artist works with paper, painting it and arranging it to create unique jewelry pieces. Each creation is about 2" in size but some have also been enlarged to create wall hangings for clients. The designs are colorful with a bit of whimsy. All of the designs are one of a kind and never duplicated, so if you purchase a piece of Papier Colle jewelry, no one else will have one like it! The artist is available for special commissions papier.colle@gmail.com http://www.paperjewelryco.com/gallery.html

An Excellent Book � Written by Marthe Le Van, The Art of Jewelry: Paper Jewelry: 35 Creative Projects is one of the best books you can buy if you would like to create an entire line of paper jewelry. Take an exciting look at one of the most popular materials in crafting today: paper. Artists have constantly pushed the envelope of this versatile medium; these pages showcase their innovative techniques along with gorgeous work that’s sure to inspire. And no previous jewelry-making experience is needed! All the basics are beautifully laid out, from an overview of the variety of available papers to an exploration of techniques. Easy-to-follow how-to photos clarify each step. Best of all are the stunning projects, including Yael Friedman’s simple “diamond” solitaire rings; K. Dana Kagrise’s elegant white bracelet made from vellum; and Dorthea Hosom’s brooches that feature sophisticated collages. ��������������� ��������

Selling Your Work Jewelry is the ultimate fashion item. Artists have tremendous leeway in creating and selling One of a kind designs, yet it is still advisable to pay attention to color schemes and design. Cut down on production time by making several copies of different designs and then using embellishments, color, size, position and finish techniques to make each one unique. Offer to customize jewelry to match your buyer’s special requests. I had a blast making dinosaur pins for a group of Moms who accompanied their kindergarten kids to the museum exhibit. Using three basic patterns I was able to quickly create 21 different pins, which the moms proudly wore even after the trip. Jewelry is often an impulse buy. Check with your hairdresser to see if you can put a display in the shop. Also, local florists, stationary stores (cards and gifts) and even independent drug store/pharmacies are a good bet for your original work, either on a consignment basis or they may purchase them outright. If you sell at fairs and craft shows create an item that reflects the local area such as a state bird or flower or even the mascot for the local football team. Be aware of copyright. You cannot legally sell the likeness of Disney Characters, Harry Potter, or other licensed characters unless you obtain your own license to do so. Network with other jewelry designers. Shiny Fashion Forums is a great place to visit. Get tips from other designers and tell the fashion world about your work and your website. http://www.shinyfashionforums.com/index.php

Selling Your 3D Paper Sculpture Jewelry at Auction.

I love to shop at Just Beads. List your jewelry in the contemporary jewelry category – or sell paper beads. Sellers can list items on JustBeads.com for a modest charge. Optional Services are available to make your auction listings stand out from the others. The services consist of priority placements and attention-getting features that help to get more bidders to look at and hopefully bid on your item. No other auction venue offers the package of priority placement and attention-getting options offered by Just Beads http://www.justbeads.com/ Another fabulous auction resource for handmade jewelry is Auction Beads. The idea for AuctionBeads started when the owner of a small web design company became interested in glass work and developed relationships with beaders, jewelry makers, and online and retail bead store owners. The desire and a need for an affordable auction site that was strictly dedicated to beads, jewelry and related products, with an emphasis on being user friendly and easy to navigate was the happy result of this. http://www.auctionbeads.com/ Etsy is a website which focuses primarily on providing the general public with a way to buy and sell handmade items. Many have compared the site to a wide open craft fair, because it grants sellers their own personal storefronts where they may list items for a small fee and showcase their handcrafted goods. The beauty of Etsy is the they allow only handmade items so your original artwork does not compete with cheap imports. http://www.etsy.com/ Needing no introduction, eBay is The World's Online Marketplace®, enabling trade on a local, national and international basis. This is probably the toughest auction market for newbies. If you are going to sell jewelry on eBay you will definitely want to get Lori Ely’s excellent ebook. The link is listed later in this report http://www.ebay.com/

Supplies and Findings Generally you will find pin backs, hair clips and other jewelry findings in the crafts department at Wal-Mart, at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and other craft stores. Since I live in a rural area I find it more convenient to purchase my supplies and findings online. If you want to buy them online here are two very good resources listed below. There are many others available that I am sure are also excellent. These two I have direct experience with and have always been very pleased with their service. Rings N Things Minimum order is $25.00 – excellent selection – full range of hair findings, pin back, earring findings and other neat things for your jewelry https://www.rings-things.com/cgi-bin/hazel/hazel.cgi?action=serve&item=findings_specialty.html Fire Mountain Gems Not as many hair findings, but a few that are different from the other website and they give you the option to mix and match to get the best price (price break for quantity) No minimum order amount required – shipping in the 48 contiguous United States is a flat $5.00 FedEx rate, plus $2.65 handling fee. This is a real bargain if you have a large order http://www.firemountaingems.com/findings.asp

Resources for Great Images Go to Dover publications and sign up for their free samples—you will be sent a page weekly via email with links back to their sampler page. Each email has links to many images for you to download to your computer. Some of these are great images for making 3d Jewelry/art. They also have a whole library of books of images. When you purchase the book you purchase the right to use the images in your artwork as much as you want. http://www.doverpublications.com/sampler4/

A wonderful place to find all kinds of free images is NOAA. Here are a couple from Art of the NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) library – etchings, sketches woodcuts, etc. For the most part images that are part of a collection by a government agency are in the public domain and you are free to use the images any way you like. There are a few images that have restrictions, so always be sure to read the guidelines regarding use of the images.

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/art/et1.html

And for beautiful natural flowers – pdphoto http://www.pdphoto.org/

The New York Public Library stores hundreds of thousands of images in their digital collection. Read the guidelines carefully, some images do have restrictions on their use, but many more are in the public domain and are available for any use. http://www.nypl.org/digital/

Resources for Jewelry Artists If you currently design and sell jewelry, especially at craft shows and fairs, 3D paper sculpture jewelry is a novel add-on that complements your regular inventory. The brightly colored, whimsical creations will attract visitors to your booth and encourage impulse buying. They can be offered at attractive price points. Use them as teasers to draw visitors in to look at your more expensive inventory. When you are ready to start selling your jewelry at craft fairs be sure to get Rena Klingenberg’s wonderful book Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth http://oldlegends.jewelbiz.hop.clickbank.net/ In this very well written and easy to read ebook successful jewelry artist, Rena Klingenberg, gives excellent, immediately usable advice for increasing your sales.

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“There are hundreds of things you can do to make a tremendous difference in your success and income at shows, fairs, and festivals. Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth details everything I've learned for squeezing the maximum profits out of your jewelry booth. I've written this ebook as a step-by-step information resource to help you succeed in selling your handcrafted jewelry at shows, too. During the first few years of my jewelry business, I worked hard to sell my jewelry at shows - but I didn't make very much money at it. It was frustrating to put so much effort into getting ready for a show, and spend an entire day in my booth - and then come home with only a small profit after expenses. But I didn't give up. I persevered, trying new things, observing successful artists, and applying the lessons I learned from each show. Through trial and error I gradually developed a more professional - and far more successful - approach to selling my handcrafted jewelry at shows. As I began to use and refine my new winning approach, I experienced a big increase in my booth traffic, jewelry sales, and the money I earned at each show.” You have 8 full weeks to read and apply every success tip, strategy, and secret that Rena reveals in her book. If you're not completely satisfied with this comprehensive guide, just ask for (and receive) an immediate, 100% refund.

If you have been considering selling jewelry and other craft items at fairs and festivals, sign up for free basic event information at Fairs and Festivals.net! This is your one stop shop for finding fairs, festivals, events, craft shows, art festivals, music festivals, farmers markets, and more! http://oldlegends.lindseyfwa.hop.clickbank.net/ Lori Ely is another jewelry artist who specializes in selling custom made jewelry on the home party plan. This comprehensive guide takes you by the hand and leads you through the necessary steps to have a successful work from home business selling jewelry at home parties. http://oldlegends.elyonline.hop.clickbank.net/ In her own words…

“Several years ago, I stumbled almost by accident upon how to turn my jewelry hobby into a great profitable business. Over the years I've spent thousands of dollars investing in my business and trying new things, and through trial and error I've learned a lot of important lessons and gained invaluable experience.

Not only will you learn how to stop procrastinating, get focused, and start your own business today, but also an easy step-by-step process for creating a business plan that works for you and the secret of getting new customers for your business”

Two very important areas that Lori covers in her ebook are especially valuable to ‘newbies’ just starting to sell their jewelry; pricing strategies, and eBay Marketing Tips.

You can be successful selling jewelry online, but you will certainly reach sales goals quicker by having an experienced guide show you the best tips on how to sell on eBay, including auction tips like when to list, how to create effective ads and more!�

How to Take Fabulous Auction Photos Bennett Dawson writes the very best tutorial for taking pictures for auction of fashion dolls. Though his advice focuses on fashion dolls, the same techniques are used photographing any type art object for online viewing. Take a look at examples of his work here. http://oldlegends.mhddesigns.hop.clickbank.net/ If you want to sell on Ebay, you REALLY need this book! This book will help you get more money from each and every auction! Clear, sharp pictures lead to a higher ending auction price.

Dear Friend, At the time of this writing I have confirmed that all of these links are active links. Hopefully they are still valid when you are reading this. I trust that you will be able to take advantage of the research that I have done for this ebook. I trust that you will find the resources listed in this report valuable to you. Whether you choose to make 3D paper sculpture jewelry just for fun, or if you want to begin earning an income doing it, there is so much information on the Internet that you can be overwhelmed just trying to find out what you want to know. My goal with this book has been to provide you with enough information so that you can determine whether or not this is something you would like to pursue. The resources in this book will provide an excellent foundation for you to begin exploring this fun and fascinating art form. Wishing you success in all you do. Karen Elizabeth business@bayoudreamer.com Get creative. Earn a good income working at home. Yes, there are still plenty of businesses that anyone can do, most with minimal start-up costs. Click on over to see. www.bayoudreamer.com P.S. As a bonus, check out the websites listed on the next two pages to see some very inspirational paper sculpture artists and a couple of fun projects that you can use to get started building your skills.

Inspirational Web Sites for Paper Sculpture Paper Sculpture is a fascinating medium, whether it is used to make jewelry, gifts, artwork or for advertising displays. The links below are to websites of some great paper sculpture artists from around the world. http://www.papersculptureartist.com/ http://www.calvinnicholls.com/ http://www.paperart-c.com/english/ http://www.grahamhay.com.au/paperman.html http://www.eckmanfineart.com/

Just for fun Paper Sculpture – pop up cards Pop-up cards and books is one of the most fun types of paper sculpture, and my favorite artist in this genre is Robert Sabuda. Well known for his beautifully intricate pop-up sculptures in books, Mr. Sabuda generously makes available several step-by-step tutorials for making pop-up cards. Check them out here. http://robertsabuda.com/popmakesimple.asp Paper Sculpture – butterfly mobile This is a fun project simple enough to share with kids, yet the finished mobile can be surprisingly elegant depending on the materials used. Quick and easy to make, you’ll probably want to make several of them. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/butterfly/mobile/