Velvet Ornaments

Materials:

Hot Potatoes Velvet Ornament kit or purchase materials for the following items separately:
- 7-1/2-inch acetate/rayon velvet square
- 7-1/2-inch card stock square (these come pre-scored for folding in the kit)
iron with steam holes around the edges only
spray bottle filled with water
Hot Potatoes rubber stamps - Snowflake Dos (#O316)
archival or bookbinding glue
double-sided super tacky tape
tassel
paper clip
1-1/2 yards of ribbon to match tassel
scissors

Steps:

1. To emboss the velvet, heat the iron to the cotton setting. Lightly mist the back side of the velvet with the water from the spray bottle (figure D). Position the stamp with the rubber-side-up on a flat surface. Place the velvet nap-side-down on top of the rubber stamp design.

2. Place the iron flatly over the entire rubber image (figure E). Hold for about 20 seconds until the velvet is completely dry. Avoid placing the steam holes from the iron on the design, as this makes an impression on the velvet as well. Repeat this process in a random pattern the velvet is completely embossed (figure F).

3. Working with the square of card stock, make the following folds on the same side (figure G):

• Fold the square in half horizontally. Crease well and unfold.
• Fold the square in half vertically. Crease well and unfold.
• From the right hand corner, fold the square in half diagonally. Crease well and unfold.
• From the left hand corner, fold the square in half diagonally. Crease well and unfold.
• Working from one corner at a time, fold the length of each adjacent side edges to the center diagonal fold mark, as if you were making a paper airplane. Crease well and unfold. Repeat in each of the other three corners. After making these two folds at each corner, place the card stock flat on the work surface. The scored lines of the card stock should resemble the fold lines represented in line art image figure A.
• To fold the scored card stock into an ornament shape, turn it so one corner is pointing toward you. Pinch in the left and right corners, scrunching the outside edges of the square upward so the points form a four-point star (figure H). Inside the star, the score lines will form an octagon shape. Reach inside the star shape and push down on the center of the octagon shape with your finger, popping it outward and bringing the sides of the star-shape together at one point at the top. Open the folded card stock back up.

4. Apply glue to the back surface of the card stock ornament.

5. Adhere the embossed velvet right-side-up onto the unfolded, glue-covered card stock ornament form (figure I). Smooth out any wrinkles. Run a strip of double-sided tacky tape on the sides of the points for securing the ornament together once you refold it (line art image figure B).

6. Re-crease all the folds of the ornament (figure J).

7. Use one end of the paper clip and pierce a small hole in the very center intersection of all the folded lines--the center of the card stock (figure K).

8. Unfold the paper clip, leaving one hook on one end. Hang the tassel on the hook. Use the straight end of the paper clip to run the tassel through the hole that is in the center of the ornament (figure L). Run this from the velvet side to the cardboard side.

9. Run a six- to eight-inch piece of ribbon through the loop at the end of the tassel (figure M). Tie the ribbon into a loop, knotting it securely. Hide the knot in the inside of the ornament. The finished loop of ribbon should extend approximately three inches beyond any corner point of the pattern.

10. Bring the four points of the velvet-covered card stock form together to create the bell-shaped ornament. Secure by pressing the tape-covered sides of the points together (line art image figure C).

11. Tie the remaining ribbon around the top end of the ornament.