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Beton Star Advent Wreath

Beton Star Advent Wreath

Designed by Kathleen Hauck

Tools:
1880420 Synthetic Flat Paintbrush Gr. 20
1879900 Paintbrush Washing Container, 16×16 x H 8.5 cm
1802730 Aluminium Ruler, 30 cm
1802911 Soft-Cut Premium Line Scissors, 15 cm, black/blue
1802200 Safety Glasses, 15.8 x 5 cm, clear

Materials:
1014905 Polystyrene Star, 50 mm, 6 Stk.
1014908 Polystyrene Star, 83 mm, 4 Stk.
1014911 Polystyrene Star, 115 mm, 2 Stk.
9317901 Easy Beton Paste, 350 g, grey
9317903 Easy Beton Paste, 350 g, cement grey
9500005 Star Mould, 3-parts
9319601 Beton Premium for Casting, 1.5 kg

In addition: 4 candles, aluminium foil, adhesive strips, protective gloves, protective mask, mixing container and old spoon/stick for mixing the Beton, scales

1. Paint any number of polystyrene stars with light and/or dark Easy Beton paste. Leave to dry.

2. Cut four 7cm wide strips of aluminium foil. Wrap a piece of foil around the bottom of a candle leaving about 1cm overhanging. Fix it with a piece of adhesive tape. Fold the excess foil around the bottom of the candle and fix in position with 2 pieces of tape, crossing each other underneath. Carefully remove the aluminium foil sleeve from the candle.

Repeat for the other three candles.

3. Mix about 900g of concrete powder with 126g of water in a mixing bowl and stir well for 3 minutes. Let the concrete rest for 2-3 minutes so that the air can escape. Then fill the big star mould with the concrete mass. Carefully put a forefinger in one of the foil candle sleeves and press it into the still soft concrete. Do the same with the other 3 aluminium foil sleeves.

The star can be removed from the mould after 24 hours. Remove the aluminium foil sleeves and insert the candles into the holes.

 

You will find Efco’s modelling and casting range of Beton and some of their moulds in the current Trends Autumn/Winter 2017 Catalogue. For more moulds check out the Technical Hobbies Catalogue.

Efcolor Enamelled Heart

Efcolor enamelling is lots of fun and much cheaper to do than traditional enamelling. Using resin based powders rather than ground glass you don’t need a kiln to fire your pieces. They can be heated in a conventional kitchen oven or better still on the purpose designed Efcolor Tealight Stove.

Because they are fired at such a low temperature (150ºC) you can enamel items other than copper e.g. ceramics, wood, aluminium, stone, glass, papier mâché. You can also combine other elements with them such as Swarovski crystals, rubs ons, rubber stamping, acrylic paints, even Distress crayons and embossing powders/crystals. You can create unique handmade jewellery and other items which make great presents for family and friends all year round but especially at Christmas. For instance this enamelled heart pendant is simple and easy to make but looks very luxurious…

Materials needed:
99 194 61 – Copper Heart Pendant 27 x 27 mm
93 717 06 – Efcolor Stove (or Domestic Oven)
93 700 29 – Dark Red Efcolor Powder
93 700 01 – White Efcolor Powder
93 703 91 – Silver Glitter Efcolor Powder
93 701 28 – Transparent Red Efcolor Powder
10 254 29 – Silver Lined Dark Red Indian Beads ø2.2mm
18 024 07 – Flat Nose Pliers
18 024 05 – Wire Cutters
In Addition:
Copper Tiger Tail Beading Wire
Copper Jump Ring and Clasp

Instructions:

1. Lightly sand the copper heart and cover with a layer of dark red Efcolor powder. Place the blank on the stove until the powder has melted creating a smooth glossy enamelled surface.

2. When cool, cover the top edges with white Efcolor, fading out as you move down the heart.

3. Before reheating the blank, cover the white Efcolor with a little silver glitter Efcolor, again focusing most across the top of the heart allowing it to thin out towards the bottom.

4. Place the blank back on the tealight stove until the powder has melted leaving you with a concentration of silver glitter at the top with hints of white fading out towards dark red at the bottom.

5. When cool, cover the blank with a thin layer of transparent red Efcolor and replace on the stove to melt the powder.

6. Take two lengths of beading wire and thread them with the dark red Indian beads. Attach the clasp at the ends and use a jump ring to attach the pendant when cool.

Matchbox Advent Calendar

Christmas is only 7 weeks away but it’s not too late to create your own advent calendar. Here’s a simple but effective and easy to make idea created by Tanja Kunz…

Materials:
1643511 Matchbox, 110 x 60 x 20 mm, white
1643505 Matchbox, 53 x 36 x 15 mm, white
1626550 Froggi Universal Glue, without solvent
4657720 Décopatch® Sheet, 30 x 40 cm, black white
4657710 Décopatch® Sheet, 30 x 40 cm, white black
4650018 Paperpatch® Glue/Varnish
1988506 Pigment Liner, 6 Stk, black
1880714 Gussow China Bristled Brush, flat, Gr. 14 / 12 mm
1549933 My Colors Cardstock, 30.6 x 30.6 cm, Coral Rose
1549901 My Colors Cardstock, 30.6 x 30.6 cm, Snowbound
1549989 My Colors Cardstock, 30.6 x 30.6 cm, Black Magic
1791008 Punch M, Rectangle, 22 x 12 mm
1790008 Punch S, Rectangle, 14 x 8 mm
1789919 Punch XS, Star, 9 mm
1793001 Punch L, Square 1-1/2 Inch, 26 mm
1795001 Punch 3XL, Square 3 Inch, 53 mm
1802532 Comfortline Scissors

In addition: Pencil, Water Container with water, Paper towel


1. Place the Decopatch paper face down on your work surface. Position different sized matchboxes on it, trace around them and cut out the paper. Coat the boxes bit by bit with Decopatch adhesive, pressing the paper in position and brush over with more adhesive. Leave to dry.

2. Use punches to cut the stars, windows, doors and roofs from the cardstock, cutting them to size where necessary.

3. Finally, glue the card pieces to the boxes with universal glue and draw numbers from 1 to 24 with the Pigment liner.

To view Efco’s full range of craft punches check out the Everything for Paper section of the main catalogue and for their range of Decopatch papers see the Decopatch catalogue both of which are available to view here.