Tissue Painting

Equipment: Small, sharp scissors; pencil; fine, pointed paintbrush.

Materials: Boxes, jars, bottles and trays to decorate. White spray enamel. Colored tissue papers. Rubber cement. Gold paint. Clear spray enamel.

What To Do: You may use any article with a smooth surface, such as ordinary jars and bottles, wooden or metal boxes, metal trays, etc.

1. Clean articles thoroughly and let dry completely.

2. Spray with white enamel, following directions on can.

3. Plan your design on painted article, marking position of tissue pieces lightly with a pencil where necessary. Trace designs of choice directly on colored tissue paper, using simple drawings or stencils. 

4. Cut out tissue design with sharp scissors.

5. Spread rubber cement on back of tissue design (be sure that cement is thin enough to spread easily); place in position on painted article, spreading smooth so that there are no wrinkles. Note: You can remove excess rubber cement by dabbing with a ball of dried cement.

6. Care is stressed at this point because the tissue can tear easily. Different color effects can be obtained by overlapping two or more layers of tissue, either of the same or different colors.

7. Add features, lines and highlights to tissue designs with a fine paintbrush and gold paint. Paint with fine lines, dots, and dotted lines.

8. When paint is dry, spray entire article with clear enamel to protect designs. Spray on several coats, letting dry thoroughly between coats.