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Easy Christmas Card Tutorial With Archer and Olive Acrylograph Pens

by Design Team 19 Aug 2021 0 Comments

Hey friends, it’s Sarah from @essjay_florals and I’m so excited to share this quick and easy Acrylograph Christmas Card with you all! As always the fun thing about creating with Acrylographs that I love to rave about is that you can layer each element on top as the pens allow you to draw right over the dry layers!

 

Here are the materials you’ll need to recreate it:

  • A piece of card (I have used a white A5 folded down to A6)
  • Pencil
  • Something round, a compass or a helix circle maker (a tin or jar does a great job)
  • Acrylograph pens in size 0.7mm in the following colours (but feel free to use other colours)
o   Silver from the Awakening or Metallic Collections
  • Black fine liner - I’m using Sakura Microns in size 01

Remember you can use my affiliate code SARAH10 to get a discount on your Acrylographs or any other Archer and Olive products! For a quick overview of all the steps to create this card, check out this video:

 

1 | Start with the Pines

step one

Pencil in a circle using your round guide. Use the Olive pen to trace the circle and draw pine branches around the circle. I like to make these quite random, sticking out at different angles, but feel free to do what works for you.

 

2a | Start Layering up Your Festive Branches - Holly

add holly

Using the Pine Green pen randomly add holly leaves around the wreath, then use the Brick Red pen to add holly berries.

 

2b. Start Layering up Your Festive Branches - Mistletoe

add mistletoe

Next randomly add mistletoe branches using the Moss Green pen, then use the Silver pen to add little berries to the mistletoe.

 

3 | Take a Step Back and Assess

final details

At this point I check to see if there are any gaps around the wreath and then add in extra pine branches or other festive branches as needed to balance it.

 

4 | Add Your Greetings

add greetings

In the middle of the wreath using your 01 Micron add whichever greeting you would like. (I recommend writing in pencil first – I did not, and was not thrilled with the text so I added an extra step).

 

Extra Step: Fix any Text Errors

extra steps

As previously mentioned, I wasn’t thrilled with the text, so I found some kraft paper to stick over the top and rewrite my greeting. You can really have fun with this extra step if you want to, whether you make a mistake or just want to add a little contrast, this is a fun extra step. I then drew in any of the holy leaves that were covered by the paper as a fun little way of ensuring the paper felt cohesive to the design.

 

some tips

Some tips:

  • If the paint isn’t flowing smoothly out of the pen, put the lid back on and give it a shake and pump it on some scrap paper until the paint is flowing more freely.
  • The fun thing about this wreath is you can use whatever colours you have and still end up with an amazing wreath. So have a play with different colours and see what works for you.
  • There are many different leaf or Christmas decoration options that you can use to make a striking wreath. I have included just a few possible examples in the above photo
  • You can add as many extra layers into this design and really make it a fun collage type piece, be as creative as you want!
  • Another fun thing about this wreath is you can use these steps to create a border or even small accents.
  • Most importantly, have fun with it!

 

If you are strapped for time I’ve got your back! Feel free to download and print the printable to use as a Christmas Card (there are 2 options included, one I have placed the design on the right hand side so you are ready to print and fold straight into a card, the second is the image only so you can print and place as desired).

free Christmas card template

I’d love to see your recreations or take on this tutorial, and don’t forget to tag myself at @essjay_florals & @archerandolive if you’d like to share.



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