Santa's Sleigh Christmas Ornament with Deco Foil

Santa’s Sleigh Christmas Ornament with Deco Foil

Hello friends! I’d like to share my 3D Sleigh made from 2D die-cuts and lots of foil. I hope this inspires you to think outside the box when you look at your dies. I believe in getting the most out of every die I own (and after working for die-cut companies for years . . . I have a lot of dies!). Let’s jump right in.

Santa’s Sleigh Ornament Supplies:

Deco Foil Peel and Stick Toner Sheets

Deco Foil Transfer Sheets – Red

Deco Foil Transfer Sheets – Silver

Deco Foil 25′ Roll – Rose Gold

iCraft Ultra Bond Adhesive

iCraft Super Tape 1/8″

Other Supplies: sleigh die, 3D die, cardstock, wrapping paper scraps, red paint, metallic twine, acorn (or other small, round object) and bits of Christmas greenery

Santa’s Sleigh Ornament Instructions:

Step One:

Start by determining what dies you will use. I have several sleigh dies but decided this one was the perfect size for an ornament (it’s approximately 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches). To make it 3D I pulled a piece from another die (never be afraid to mix and match die sets). The small rectangle piece at the bottom of the picture is from a really adorable mini pinata die set by Katelyn Lizardi (Sizzix) and was the perfect size for my ornament.

Hint: If you don’t have a sleigh die you can easily draw one, cut it out, trace it several times and cut those out. The 3D die can be hand-cut as well (it’s just easier if you have a die).

Step Two:

Die-cut the sleigh from Peel and Stick Toner Sheets (twice toner side up and twice toner side down so that you end up with two mirror image sleighs as well). I also die-cut two sleighs from cardstock to reinforce my ornament. My sleigh had a decorative overlay so I die-cut two of those as well. You will also need to die-cut (or cut) your 3D pieces from the Peel and Stick Toner Sheets).

Step Three:

Okay, the foiling is a little tricky on this because we are going to foil the sleigh in two different color foils. Lay your die down on top of your silver foil, trace the blade portion and cut that out. Repeat this process with the seat portion but with the red foil.

Inside your foiling carrier lay down a piece of double-sided tape for each sleigh (I stick mine on my jeans a couple of times to make it less sticky). Place your sleigh on top of the tape and then lay your cut out pieces of foil on top (shiny side up), matching them up where they meet. Be careful placing the foil – if you get it in the wrong spot and peel it up, your double-sided tape will pull the foil from the sheet. Use a little washi tape (as shown above) to hold your foil in place. Next, foil the Deco Foil Toner Sheets in the same red foil.

Do not make the mistake (like I did first time around) of thinking you can do one foil color at a time. Any exposed Toner Sheet will stick to the carrier and tear apart after you run it through the foiling machine. This seems like a lot of work but it’s really not and the result is breathtaking. No picture I can take will show how pretty it really is.

Step Four:

Okay, now we are going to layer up our die-cuts. Because the Deco Foil Toner Sheets are PeelnStick this is really easy to do. You should have two sets like the picture above (the second one should be a mirror image). My #1 is my decorative overlay so if you don’t have one, just start with #2. I’ll start with #2 for these instructions. Begin by removing the release paper from the back of the Peel and Stick Toner sleigh and carefully stick it onto the cardstock die-cut. Even though the PeelnStick adhesive is permanent, it is very forgiving as you are using it. Don’t be afraid to peel it back up a bit if your alignment is off. Once it’s perfect, make sure to burnish it with your finger to make sure the adhesive is attached everywhere. Now repeat this process with your mirror image sleigh on the back side of the cardstock. Where you are finished you should have a sleigh that is beautifully foiled on both sides!

Now repeat this entire process with the second set.

Step Five:

Adhere the 3D pieces to each other so that you have one long strip. Using the 1/8″ Super Tape, remove the release paper and cover the tabs on the 3D strip and fold along the crease on both sides.

Peel off the release paper from the other side of the Super Tape along one side of the 3D strip and carefully adhere to one of the sleigh pieces on the inside, along with the outer edge from back to front. Repeat this process with the second sleigh die-cut. Your finished piece should look like the above picture.

Hint: If you want to make a larger sleigh (say for a centerpiece or home decor piece) there is a larger die called Make It 3D by Eileen Hull (Sizzix) that has three different sizes/types of 3D pieces for use in making any 2D die-cut a 3D project.

Step Six:

Peel off the release paper from the inside of the 3D pieces and paint red to camouflage it. Next, create three small gifts to nestle inside your sleigh. I folded come cardstock and adhered with some of the new Ultra Bond Adhesive to create a cube. This adhesive dries fast and clear so it is perfect for this type of application. Wrap your cube in a scrap of paper. I create two more mini gifts by wrapping an acorn and rolling a small piece of cardstock into a tube and wrapping that as well. I used metallic twine and bakers twine to create bows on the gifts. Adhere the three gifts into the sleigh and embellish with some bits of Christmas decor greenery.

Step Seven:

Add a bit of gold twine for a tree hanger and you have a beautiful Santa’s Sleigh Ornament!

Thanks for sticking with my very long (but very typical for me) step-by-step project tutorial. I hope this inspires you to break out your dies and try something new.

Wendy

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