I created a scrapbook layout this year that begged for a Christmas ornament. Cutting a circle of paper was easy enough, but I wanted to give it a glossy look to make it look real. After some experimenting, I ended up developing a really fun technique for a crackled glass finish.

Start by cutting a circle (about 3″ across) out of card stock. For a true ornament look, don’t cut the circle all the way — leave a little tab on part of it, to duplicate the stem on an ornament.

Next, take your silver paper and cut a little square piece and scallop the bottom edges for effect. This will be the cap for your ornament. It should be large enough to cover most of the tab you left on the circle. Set the cap aside.

For the ornament hook, you can use a small piece of wire or a paper clip. Just cut it to length with wire cutters and then bend it into the shape you want. I used a piece of a spiral paper clip, which gave me a nice curve and a nice flat wire. Set the wire aside.

Now we’ll focus on the ornament itself. Coat one side of the circle in a pigment based ink. I used white ink, but you could use clear embossing ink or any other color you like (just keep in mind that the color you choose will get darker with each layer). As soon as the ink is on, cover the whole thing with clear embossing powder and shake off any excess. Then melt the embossing powder by heating it with a heat gun until it is glossy.

Repeat the inking/embossing process as many as 5 times, until you get the look you want. You need at least 3 or 4 coats for a nice thick surface.

Once the last layer is cool, you get to have some fun. Put the circle in your palm and gently bend it until it cracks. Keep doing this in different directions until you get cracks all over, with the coverage you want.

When you’re happy with the look, glue on the cap and hook (Fig 1 and 2) and you’re ready to apply it to your scrapbook page. For my layout, I used the ornament as an “O” in the word “Noel” (Fig 3), which was a fun idea. This layout is also featured in the gallery over at Two Peas in a Bucket, which is a great source for scrapbooking products and inspiration.

Of course, you can make your ornament in any size you wish, and with any color of paper. You can even use this technique on other shapes, such as large rectangles to use as mats for photos. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination!