Do you like the foiled look that is so popular in card making these days but you don’t want to buy any fancy tools? Look no further because here you can find some fun foiling techniques without fancy tools. And they are all great to make gorgeous cards or other paper crafting projects.

The techniques used to make all cards are also great for beginner crafters as some don’t need many products or tools and they are all easy to follow.

(All supplies are linked to different stores at the end of this post in the thumbnails. The different stores are also linked behind the product name. Among them are affiliate links that may be used at no cost to you.)

For the foiled backgrounds on these cards a bunch of different techniques and products were used so make sure to watch today’s video to see all techniques at work and you get all the tips to get the best results.

Two for One

For the first cards the foil was used twice, really making the most of it with nothing to throw in the bin, isn’t that the coolest:-)

Therm O Web – Deco Foil – Summer Rainbow ( SBC | ELH | JGG | THR ) was the foil used on both cards. These multi colour foils are definitely a favorite over the one colour ones, they are so pretty. You’ll see some more multi colours as well as one colour ones so you can choose your favorite one.

Stencil and Paste

For the first foiled card Therm O Web – Deco Foil – Transfer Gel – DUO ( SBC | ELH | THR ) was used with Hero Arts – Stencil – Glorious Petal ( SBC | HA ) to get this pretty big pattern background.

It needed nothing else besides a sentiment from the We R Memory Keepers – Designer Dies – Amy Tangerine ( SBC ) set coloured with Sizzix – Embossing Powder – Mango Tango ( SBC | SZZ ) that matches the foil colour perfectly.

 A great help with the embossing powder are Coffee Filters ( AMZUS ) as they are less static than regular printing paper which makes it easier to add the powder back in the jar without it sticking on the paper.

Mirror Image

For card number two I used the Scrapbook.com – Clear Double Sided Adhesive Sheets ( SBC ) to add the left over foil piece with the gorgeous pattern to the card.

The first card has more dimension because of the added transfer gel which gives another look. This card is more shiny as the plastic side of the foil sheet is on top.

I used the same sentiment die set and embossing powder and I added some SPARKLING CRYSTALS ( STD ) on top of the sentiment for a fun effect.

Grungy Backgrounds

On these cards I used Therm O Web – Deco Foil – Emerald Watercolor ( SBC | ELH | JGG | THR ) another gorgeous multicolour foil, great for some added shine on your cards.

grungy foil background

For the pattern on the first card the Joggles / Elizabeth St Hilaire Mask – Chunky Spirals ( JGG ) was used with a Nuvo – Glue Pen – Large ( SBC | ELH | TNCUK | TNC ) another great way to add the foils on you cards. The big stencil has really great open spaces as a super cool pattern which gives you lots of options for cardmaking and on other paper crafts.

The sentiment was made with  Sizzix – Bigz XL – Alphabet Die – Handmade ( SBC ) cut out of 1 millimeter chipboard and a layer of Ranger Ink – Embossing Powder – Gold Tinsel ( SBC | ELH ) was added.

multi colour foil background

For this card a second colour foil was used to fill the open spaces Therm O Web Deco Foil Magenta Satin ( ELH | JGG | THR ) a really good colour to use with the green as both colour compliment each other.

Here the sentiment was finished with a layer of Ranger – Embossing Powder – Lime Tinsel ( SBC | ELH | JGG )

Some Studio Katia Pearls Exotic Onyx ( ELH | STD ) were added around the sentiment for some dimension and a fun touch. The pearl pick up a bit of the green and pink of the foil and sentiment and are a perfect match.

ghost image

Ghost Image

For these two cards Therm O Web – Deco Foil – Amber Watercolor ( SBC | ELH | JGG | THR ) and Gina K Designs – Fancy Foils – Sparkling Silver ( SBC | ELH | JGG | THR ) were used.

The Joggles / Elizabeth St Hilaire Mask – Mother’s Garden ( JGG ) was used with the Transfer Gel and was applied with the American Crafts – Palette Knife – Silicon ( SBC ) which is a great tool for applying pastes and gels. 

Another tool for you to check out to apply gel on a larger piece like a complete card with a stencil for instance is the Deco Foil Stencil Pal ( THR ) that will help spreading gel or paste with ease.

foil and gel

The same Amy Tangerine sentiment was used with a layer of Sizzix – Embossing Powder – Caramel Toffee ( SBC | SZZ ) that has a very subtle sparkle in it and is a great match with the amber coloured foil.

ghost image

On the second card the ghost image of the stencil was used. The card was finished with
the big Tim Holtz Alphabet with a layer of Ranger Ink – Embossing Powder – Verdigris ( SBC | ELH ) with a bunch of Studios Katia Silver Crystals ( STD ) around the sentiment to add some extra sparkle

Torn Edges

Another card made with the Transfer Gel combined with a  Hero Arts – Stencil – Bold Floral ( SBC | ELH | HA ). And a simple technique to make the torn look for the edges which creates a nice border on both sides of the card.

Both cards where finished with a sentiment coloured with Ranger Ink – Embossing Powder – Raspberry Tinsel ( SBC ) Besides the colour and the added sparkle from the glitter the dimension is always a great way to create some interest on a card.

use your scraps

Use Your Scraps

On these cards the leftover bits from several foil pieces were used to create this fun multi pattern effect in different colours. The colurs that were used are Therm O Web Deco Foil Magenta Satin ( ELH | JGG | THR ) and Aqua ( SBC | ELH | JGG | THR ) and the third colour We R Memory Keepers – Foil Quill – Foil Sheets – 4 x 6 – Flamingo ( SBC | AMZUS | ELH )

Both cards were finished with a sentiment made with the big Tim Holtz Alphabet with added layer of Ranger Ink – Embossing Powder – Teal Tinsel ( SBC | ELH )

A bit of added sparkle was added with Studio Katia Crystals, Jade ( ELH | STD ) just a few for some extra dimension.

left over bits and scraps

This sentiment was coloured with Sizzix – Embossing Powder – Mint Julep ( SBC | SZZ ) and finished with a sprinkle of Studio Katia Crystals Cupid’s Kiss ( ELH | STD ) to add some extra sparkle.

brustroke foil

Brushstroke Foil

And finally the last technique that requires hardly any tools but gives a awesome effect, I really like this one:-)

The pretty Emerald Watercolour Foil was used together with the Transfer Gel and a Nuvo – Nylon flat Brush ( SBC | TNCUK | TNC ) was used to apply it.

The sentiment was coloured with Ranger Ink – Embossing Powder – Gold Tinsel ( SBC | ELH ) And the Studio Katia Crystals, Jade ( ELH | STD ) match the foil colour.

I hope you are inspired to start foiling yourself and try out some of these fun techniques. Thanks for stopping by and make sure to keep on crafting!

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