#gold foil tutorial

[swordmaid]

want to learn gouache for the sole reason of making my drawings inspired from classical paintings into actual paintings

[celestial-sphere-press]

Book Decoration: AKA All The Ways I Don't Use a Cricut

(this post is for people who don't want to buy an expensive cutting tool, or for those that do have an expensive cutting tool that would like to mix things up a little)

1. Print That Shit

If you're already printing your own textblocks, an easy step for titles is to print them. Above is a title printed onto an "obi" of decorative paper. I measured out where I wanted things on the finished book and laid it out in Affinity, then printed it on a full sheet & trimmed it down to wrap around the book. A more simple method is to print & glue on the label into a slight indent in the cover (to protect it). A third option is to do the spine in bookcloth, while you print on paper for the cover and then glue that paper onto the boards (this usually looks even better when it is a three-piece bradel bind).

2. Foil Quill / Heat Pens

The heat pen is one of my go-to tools, but it can be a bit touchy about materials. The most popular version is the We R Memory Keepers' Foil Quill (which is one of the most ergonomic), but other pens exist that can get you to a higher heat temp, finer lines, or more consistent foil. For example, I have a pen created by a local Japanese bookbinding studio that fares way better on leathers than the WRMK quill & with a finer tip, but it's hell to control. Best results in general are on paper or smooth bookcloth (starched linen, arrestox, colibri - even duo will work but its less solid). The fuzzier a bookcloth is, the less your foil quill wants to deal with it. This means the heat n bond method of making bookcloth does not play nice with a heat pen usually, but there are two solutions: 1) use this tutorial on paste + acrylic medium coated bookcloth instead that will get you a perfect surface for the heat pen, or 2) use the pen on paper & then glue onto the cloth. I did a video tutorial for both foil quill use and this type of homemade bookcloth for @renegadeguild Binderary in 2023.

You get the most consistent results by tracing through a printed template that is taped in place, as I do in the video above.

3. Paint That Shit

Acrylic paints will do you fine! The above is free-handed with a circle template, because I wanted that vibe. If you need straight lines that won't seep, lay them down with tape first & then paint over it first with a clear Acrylic medium, then your color. Same goes for stencils. Two more examples of painted bookcloth:

4. IT'S GOT LAYERS

By using layers of thinner boards, you can create interesting depths & contrasts on your cover. You can also make cutouts that peep through to the decorative paper behind. The most important part to this technique is the order in which each edge is wrapped. To get a good wrapped inside edge, you will split the turn in into tabs to get them to conform to a curve. You can also layer multiple colors of bookcloth without multiple layers of board, as seen below left, so long as you mind your cut edges for fraying.

5. Inlaid... anything

Mirrors! Marbled paper! I saw someone do a pretty metal bookmark once! The key is creating a little home for it to live in, which is pretty similar to the above layering method. On one layer you cut the shape, & glue that layer onto the bottom solid board before covering. You can do the top layer as an entire 1 mm board (like I did for the mirrors) or a sheet of cardstock, like I would use for inlaid paper.

6. Decorative Paper

Decorative paper is always helpful & adds to the paper hoard... & its effects can be layers with other techniques, as below. Marbles, chiyogami, momi, or prints & maps of all kinds can be great additions. Some papers may need a protective coating (such as wax or a sealer).

7. Stamps (with optional linocut)

While I've not used many more regular rubber stamps, I do know some who have, successfully! And I've used one once or twice with embossing powder (see photo 3 up, the gold anchor on the little pamphlet bind). What also works is to carve your own linocut or stamp, & then use block printing ink to ink it onto your fabric (as i did above). A bit time intensive, but it was nice how easily reproducible it was, and I liked the effect I got for this particular bind.

These methods are not exhaustive, just ones I've used, and there are of course many others. I haven't gone too into detail on any of these for the sake of length (& post photo limits) but feel free to ask about more specifics. Usually I'm using them in combination with other options.

[dreadfutures]

Making Dragon Age Tarot: Resources

I have collected quite a few posts from other people with various takes on the DA tarot style. These are all preserved in links on my blog, but I will specify who gets credit here.

Dragon Age Game Tarot Cards

Imgur

micromys scanned their entire deck (they are backed up under my dragon age tarot tag in january 2023)

Start to Finish Tutorials

paperwick's DA Tarot Style Guide: Part 1 | Part 2

Composition & Analysis

Heathwind analysis

theboyofcheese analysis

eristhenat color choices

Brushes, Patterns, Resources

eleonorpiteira with some brush sets.

eleonorpiteira gold foil texture tutorial

paperwick gold texture tutorial

saif's Tarot Frame templates

bunabi's many brushes and patterns

About Tarot

my favorite: ATA-Tarot

my other favorite: labyrinthos

[vorfreudevortex]

just for you!

how the jjk boys handle christmas gift wrapping (headcanons, crack, fluff)

✧.* gojo, geto, nanami, toji, choso, sukuna, yuji, megumi, noritoshi, ino, inumaki, yuta

masterlist

satoru would think he's just sooo amazing at wrapping gifts, but in reality, they're just a complete mess. he buys super expensive paper, like the really thick ones with gold foil that don't rip. he does make sure to get whatever ribbon and bows match his paper, but they still fail to hide the fact that there is tape everywhere, mostly in places they don't even need to be.

suguru secretly loves wrapping gifts, and is pretty damn good at it. he's very meticulous and matches his paper with his bows and ribbons. he doesn't buy the most expensive paper, nor the cheapest, but somewhere in between. he does try to find clear tape to use instead of the white-ish kind as well.

kento is obviously the king of gift wrapping. he always buys the nice, thick wrapping paper with the lines on the inside so he can make sure his cuts are as straight as possible. he even makes sure to fold the edges of the paper over so the ends are neat. only uses double sided tape, because he wouldn't be caught dead with visible tape on the outside of the gift. his gifts could be taken straight out of a christmas store display case and you wouldn't know any better.

toji doesn't even try fucking around with wrapping paper anymore. he stuffs whatever his gift is into a gift bag and staples it closed. he's has been known to wrap gifts using newspaper or duct tape in the past. when he's the one unwrapping gifts, however, he is surprisingly careful. he doesn't tear the present open, but will pry open one side and slide the gift out to keep the paper intact.

choso tries really, really hard. he definitely watched a few youtube tutorials as well, but couldn't quite catch on. he buys his wrapping paper at any regular store, and only buys bows to put on the most expensive gifts he bought. the paper is gonna be crumpled for sure, you're going to be able to see every point where he messed up and refolded or retaped. the bows are always going to be slightly sideways, but it's endearing nevertheless.

sukuna will actually wrap presents even though he thinks it's stupid. there is tape everywhere and the paper isn't even properly folded, just pushed down wherever he needs it to be. he's grumbling and complaining the entire time. also, he makes uraume get him blood red wrapping paper. don't expect any bows.

yuji is actually pretty decent. he always gets fun and silly wrapping paper and only has to refold a couple of times. there's usually only a few imperfections, like an awkward extra fold somewhere or a small patched area where he mis-measured the size of his gift. he will draw a really bad doodle of whoever the gift is for directly on the paper with sharpie.

megumi gets straight to business with gift wrapping. he buys plain brown paper, but makes sure it's thick enough not to tear. there's minimal tape and mistakes, and the folding is always neat. yuji will ask why he didn't want to buy "jollier "wrapping paper, and megumi will respond with something like, "it's just the gift that matters."

noritoshi treats it like a formal ritual of some sort. the paper is always only one solid color without any fun patterns. his gifts are almost wrapped too perfectly, with double-sided tape hiding beneath the tightest folds. he might buy a ribbon or two to decorate the gifts he bought for the very few people he genuinely cares about. he knows wrapping paper produces a lot of waste but secretly enjoys these careless christmas festivities.

takuma is awful. it takes him hours just to finish wrapping a handful of gifts, just for them to look like he did them in 5 minutes. he made sure to buy thicker wrapping paper this year after tearing all the paper from last year to shreds in his attempts, but it doesn't help at all. there's somehow too little tape and too much tape, all in places they shouldn't be, and every bows is threatening to fall off. his cute, giddy smile when he hands out his presents make up for his lack in skills.

toge loves gift wrapping and does a pretty decent job every time. he makes sure to order goofy paper, usually something with sushi rolls or onigiri on it, even if he has to pay more and wait longer for them to be shipped. only messes up a few times and tries to use clear tape. he tags each person's gift with a different rice ball ingredient to confuse everyone, just because it's funny.

yuta is good at wrapping but overthinks everything. will buy a different pattern of wrapping paper for each person, and spends days on end thinking and rethinking about which one fits them best and if they will like it. he buys clear tape and loops it over to stick under the folds to make them neat, because he was so busy choosing paper that he forgot to buy double sided tape. will retie bows over and over until it's centered and symmetrical. he'll definitely get flustered and a little embarrassed when someone compliments his neat wrapping.

merry christmas and happy holidays!

© vorfreudevortex // all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, or repost my work.

[haxkattpress]

Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses

"Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order."

This has to be one of the most creative and meticulously researched fics I have ever had the pleasure of reading. If you haven't read it yet, don't walk— run! Citrusses is an absolute genius, and kindly gave me permission to bind her masterpiece.

The cover of this bind is made out four different shades of Allure bookcloth cut by my Cameo 4, and the centerpiece is printed and hand foiled. The banners were machine foiled in gold and black with hand foiled rose gold shading. The endbands were hand sewn with Gutermann silk thread.

You can find more pictures and information about my process under the cut.

The amount of inspiration this fic gave me was overwhelming, and Citrusses' writing fully immersed me in the world of competitive rowing. While designing this bind, I was struck by the sheer wealth of Oxford rowing memorabilia available to me. I settled on this 1929 illustration from an official publication on the Oxford and Cambridge Centenary Boat Race for the cover.

"How hard could it possibly be?" I thought, foolishly. The answer was HARD, but I'll get into that later.

Due to the wealth of design options, I believe that this may be the best typeset I have created to date. Thanks to the help of my friend @tsurashi-bindery, I was able to learn the basics of InDesign (kicking and screaming all the way). There will be spoilers in the text of these photos, so try not to read them if you haven't finished the fic!

For the title page, I modified To See the Crews in Training by Charles Pears (1930). I believe that this was part of a series of advertisements for the race in the London Underground.

For the chapter headers, I redrew the crest from an Oxford Oars, Flags, and Arms postcard, presumably pre 1914. I also had some fun creating a mock email using La_Temperanza's How to Mimic Email Windows on Ao3. Cormac's email makes me laugh every time I read it, and Citrusses provided an appropriately pompous subject.

I also had lots of fun editing the oars from the official OUBC logo to serve as dividers and decorations for the page numbers.

Additionally, I got to edit a full newspaper page for the fic! I was very excited find an opportunity to slip Leyendecker's The Finish (1908) in.

The fic ended beautifully, so I wanted to include one last element at the end to capture the atmosphere. I settled on L'aviron (1932) by Milivoj Uzelac. It makes me feel as though Harry and Draco will continue rowing together long after I've closed the book.

I of course had lots of fun sewing the headbands, and got to do it with not one but TWO copies!

Things got tricky when I had to recreate the cover. I had a poor understanding of how vector images worked, and ended up having to redraw it three times. Once I finally cracked and taught myself how to use Illustrator, the program crashed...and I had to redraw it a fourth time!

I set the vector to cut on my Cameo 4, and I assembled the pieces together like a puzzle on my Silhouette mat. I used Allure's indigo, skylight, white, and black bookcloth in the process. I will be making a tutorial video on this method, so I will keep it brief here.

I also cut a piece of bookcloth to 8.5"x 11" and fed it through my inktank printer to print the center design. I then cut it out using the print and cut feature on my Cameo 4. Both of these methods were a first for me, and they were very scary!!

To be perfectly frank, the foiling was a nightmare and I don't want to get into it. I machine foiled the gold, and then foiled black lettering on top of it. I foiled the rose gold shading by hand, and then foiled a thin black outline along the edge of the banners to make them stand out more.

I hand foiled the spines (because I'm scared of measuring), painted the exposed board (to hide any gaps in the inlays), and used transfer tape to lift my design from the Silhouette mat and onto the cover.

One more fun detail— my copy and the author's copy are sisters! The dark blue and the light blue are inverted on the author's copy, making it distinguishable from mine. This is the first time I have made an author's copy for a fic, and I was admittedly incredibly nervous. I always worry about what authors will think of my work, but Citrusses gave me an incredible amount of encouragement and support throughout the process! Thank you for trusting me with your precious fic!

This story is a work of fanfiction and can be read on Ao3 for free. My bind and typeset are for personal use only and not for sale or profit. Keep fandom free!

[sits-bound]

Bound: The Twenty-Two Cards Series (Rookie Moves + 6 more) by peu_a_peu

I am pretty insane about this fic right now. Between this bind and the podfic I'm making of it, I am happily living in the world of these two dumb cops.

I made this for the @renegadeguild's Renegade Loves Fic(writers) event for Fanfiction Writer's Appreciation Day (which is today!), and sent it to the author earlier this month.

This bind has a couple of firsts:

First hand-sewn endbands

I am very very proud of the endbands - it has taken me many, many, many attempts to get them right. Huge props to maleeka_mols for this fantastic tutorial!

First dust jacket

I made a dust jacket because I felt like the design of the case didn't do this series justice. It just needed MORE.

Making it was fun but also very stressful. I had one chance to get the printing right (since I don't have a large format printer and so I had to get it printed as a poster, which is pricey) and thank god it all worked out perfectly.

So let's talk about the details…(other than the end bands and dust jacket.)

The 22 cards of the title reference the 22 cards of the major arcana. I am not familiar with the tarot, so I hope I didn't do anything "wrong" by choosing cards to use based on aesthetics. But it is such a fun aesthetic to use!

Weeding the HTV on the front was a lot. And then the gold of the title got a little wonky (another reason for the dust jacket, if I'm being honest) but I love the way it looks.

There's a lot of gold foiling on the inside. Each story has its own tarot card (again, chosen based on looks because I am shallow). I also made a table of contents! Just a lot of stuff. The typeset itself is fairly simple. (Would I love to have made a maximalist version like the one @slbindery made for me? Yes, but I have to accept that that is not the style I excel at.)

HAPPY (FAN) FIC WRITERS APPRECIATION DAY!

[trinketstar]

How I made my own vintage Pomni!

Based on this tutorial, with my own modifications and sewing pattern!

Let's begin!

Here's a total list of the things I used here.

Shiny fabric: blue and red

Acrylic paint. Colors: White,red,blue,black

Gold ribbon

White sculpey clay

Tin foil

Mod podge (for sealing the paint)

Jingle bells

Dark brown yarn

Glue

And depending on how you want to handle crafting the body you can either follow the original tutorial and make one out of any fabric you'd like, filling it with plastic beans and stuffing,

Or you can do what I did and cheat a little! I actually used the body of a beanie baby to save time. You'll find tons of these guys at the thrift store, usually for about a dollar each. The one I used for Pomni looked like this.

All I did was carefully undo the stitching on the bear's head and set Pomni's clay head in the opening!

Now for the steps! The first thing I did was gather my materials and make a concept sketch.

Then since I already had a body for Pomni, I rolled a ball of tin foil slightly smaller than I wanted the head to be, and covered it in sculpey clay. Then I molded the face into a nice cute shape! Don't worry if the back of the head is lumpy, you won't see it under the hat and hair.

Make sure to add a neck that tapers outwards at the bottom so the head stays in the neck hole of the plush body!

After baking the clay, I painted the head white and sketched out the face lightly with pencil before painting on the details. I even added a little bit of glitter to her eyes! Then when I was satisfied with the face, I sealed the paint with mod podge. It added a nice shine to her face which adds to the porcelain look!

I'd bought a clown doll at a thrift store with a similar outfit to the one I wanted to make for Pomni, which I reverse engineered to make my own pattern! Here's In-progress Pomni wearing the other doll's outfit.

I cut out these patterns to use for the outfit.

After cutting out the pants they should look like this when put together and folded. Turn them inside out and sew them together at the middle, including the crotch. Leave the top and the pant legs open.

The sleeves should look like this cut out and folded. Make sure they're inside out just like the pants, and sew these at the sleeve openings at the top. Remember to leave the neck hole open!

Here's where we add the ribbon at the ends! Fold up the base of the pant legs and sleeves to hem the ends, and scrunch up the gold ribbon to sew around the borders while you're hemming them. It'll scrunch the ends a little bit, giving the outfit that poofy look.

Then turn it inside out!

I sewed the bells on and put the outfit on pomni! Then I simply cut another piece of ribbon and made a little ruffle for her neck. It's not sewed to the outfit just so it's easier to take on and off.

For Pomni's hair I got the yarn and combed it out with a fine tooth comb until the texture became softer, and then used a flat iron on it (VERY briefly. just for a second!!!!) to straighten it out. For more tips on this look up yarn doll hair tutorials on youtube! Then I just glued it to her lil head and styled it like so.

I don't have any progress pics for the hat but it was pretty simple. Just cut out the shapes and sew them up!

Then add the hem with a ribbon folded in half, and the bells!

TADAA! A baby pompom for you!

[zenaidamacrouras1]

I did a new version of History of American Capitalism! This time with a 19th Century typography vibe. Inspired by old maps and books from the 1850s.

This fic has two small sequels so I bound the three together and made coordinated title pages. The title pages and chapter headers were made in Canva with my very limited yet stubborn graphic design abilities.

The tiger fabric is by Tula Pink, a fabric designer, who has many whimsical wonderful animal fabrics. I was gonna do a whole ornate gold foil situation on the front, but I like this fabric so so much so I let it do the talking. (The fic is a College AU and the college football team is the Tigers).

I've been working on painting the edges gold (using tutorials by Duranbinding on instagram), I should have sanded way more for a smoother edge but I got bored and they are mostly fine? I also should have clamped them tighter before painting because there is some annoying gold bleed onto the inside of the page but the thing is sometimes I just don't care and it's fine, probably.

Other lazy things I did was not care about how rounded the spine was or making proper shoulders, which I did meticulously for my first couple books and at this point it doesn't bother me but might someday.

The pages turn beautifully because I used proper short grain paper and a lovely quality vellum paper at that and it really does make a more pleasing book.

I love the tigers so much.

[avisbindery]

HALLOWEEN BINDS (PART 1) 🧡

I had the most fun and also the most stressful time with this project (but the stress was from the hurricane lol). The 2 fics I picked to do hardback binds were so fantastical with incredibly unique lores that I've never read before. Here are some details of the first one:

✧ Chained to the Moon by MsAlexWP:

Cwdew navy bookcloth (Amazon)

HTVRONT blue htv

VINYL FROG metallic gold & silver htv

Foiled chapter pages

Typeset by me

Designed on Canva

✧ Slipcase:

This was funnily enough a last minute improv decision because so many things went wrong lol. Thee case was supposed to look scary on the outside while it holds two elegant books on the inside (just like how Remus is perceived in these two fics). Huge shoutout to mrsyoflam and togethertomes for their slipcase tutorials! I could've never done this without them!

Made by chipboard and covered with black adhesive leather

Wolf made with faux leather (instructions by LeatherHubPatterns)

[kedama-craft]

Hua Cheng papercraft

Series: Heaven Officials Blessing

Template in my ko-fi shop:

Tutorial:

Additionally I used lot of different materials on the paper like:

holographic foil on the butterflies

glitter varnish on the metal parts like belt, etc.

red string on the finger

gold foil on the base

tissue paper for the inside of the flower

[runawaymarbles]

Sorry to bother you, feel free not to answer, but I see that you are a prolific bookbinder and I'm a bit stumped

What kind of paint/ink/etc do you use to paint book edges? I wanted to personalize some books while I collect the stuff I need to learn how to bind and I can't find conclusive answers

Thank you so much ✨

The person you really want to talk to about edges is @duran-binding (insta - there's a few tutorials there.)

But I've used heat-activated foil, paint, and acrylic ink. What I did for Good Omens was I did a thin layer of gold acrylic paint, then two or three layers of gold acrylic ink, and then I think I put gilding sealant on top but I don't remember for sure. It's definitely not as shiny as what you can get from proper gilding or from well-applied foil, but I've gotten mixed results with foil. (It also really depends on what foil you use, it can be a crapshoot.) Someday I will figure out the secret.

[eringurumi]

Here is my latest crochet project!! And thrifting, sewing, crafting... I knew from the second we were going to move to New Zealand, my "Halloween" (they don't really celebrate it here, but I feel like these costumes are going to be pretty versatile) costume for the family would be Lord of the Rings inspired! So here's our little fellowship - an elf, a dwarf, and a hobbit!

I of course was excited to crochet / yarncraft an epic beard - there are many examples online, I just sort of winged it.

For the cloaks and robes, I thrifted mostly duvet covers, bedsheets, and pillowcases. There are a bunch of cloak tutorials on youtube, but again, I mostly took some inspiration, and worked with the limitations of what I had. A lot of the rest of the clothes were thrifted / we already had.

I also made the leaf pins, trying to make them look a little like the silverfern that is so prominent here in New Zealand, the beard-rings and One Ring out of foil (the gold foil was off a Whittaker's chocolate bar!), elf bracers out of a thrifted purse, and elf ears from some felt and wire I had in my craft stash!

This was really fun to do! It's not a high quality cosplay or anything like that, but the cloaks have great swish, and I'm gonna get some use from them, I'm sure!

[cure-icy-writes]

Sky: Children of the light cosplay writeup

Wig: The fun part about skykids is you can do basically any hairstyle, so long as it’s in white. Good quality wigs start at about 20 dollars; I just happened to have one on hand that I was willing to recycle for this. If you’re on a budget, consider checking secondhand websites, local cosplay swap meets, and facebook marketplace.

Mask: I used this pattern from Punished Props to make the mask out of 5 mm EVA foam (Which would cost… I want to say $2 at michaels to get a similar sheet?) and then decided I didn’t like it, so I did it over again at 75% size. The gem is resin, painted with nail polish. I like using nail polish as paint; I know it’s not conventional, but it’s super fun and gives a nice shimmer without being overbearing. And then I stuck some aluminum foil onto the back of the gem to give it a nice reflective shine! The eye holes were enlarged somewhat because I shrunk the pattern to begin with, so as they are, I think they give it a more appropriately childish vibe. I put some of the plastic mesh that knitters use in the eye holes and painted it with a bit of shimmery gold! Finally, I just hot glued elastic to use as the strap, no need for leather or anything.

Cloak: 2.5 yards anti pill fleece. It’s a ¾ circle shape, so what you do is buy 1 ¼ yards of the color you want, then the same amount for the(Comes out to 15-20 dollars total; fleece is relatively cheap) and take one, and fold it in half and lay it down so the selvedge is going up and down. Measure on the center fold 29 inches up from the bottom edge, and make a mark with washable marking pen. This is the center. Now, using a yardstick or other measuring tool, continue marking in a circle 29 inches from that dot.

Make a smaller circle using the same dot as a focus, this one about 4 inches in diameter. There’s your neck hole. Now use the first piece of fabric as a pattern to cut out the second. Applique on your stars (I did a five star cape because the look I’m going for is that of a young moth who’s just barely becoming a butterfly, but you can do however many stars you want!) After this, you put the two layers together, and sew, leaving a small opening for turning. Turn, topstitch near the edge, and you’re all done!

You can also use this tutorial if you want more in depth instructions! However, keep in mind that this one requires more fabric to begin with.

Tunic: This was made out of a t shirt pattern and a curtain I thrifted for two dollars. The only real advice I can give here is to make a small pintuck on the inside to sort of cheat the seam on the right side of the chest, and don’t be afraid to make it baggy!

Pants: I already owned these, they’re just a regular pair of khakis, but I’ll budget in five dollars to thrift a new pair.

Shoes: Another thing I already owned. I’m going to cut this out of the budget, because frankly you will want comfortable shoes at the con and can likely get away with something casual.

Candle: Six dollar flameless candle at hobby lobby. The outside is made of actual wax, which is odd and not super durable. I also bought a real red candle and a white one for photoshoots.

So, overall? About $55 in total. You can cut down or cut corners or use coupons, and I don’t think it’s terrible, but there’s also the option of cutting out the mask entirely. Which is entirely fair; masks are a hassle to wear and to see out of, and often require a handler, which cuts down on the things you can do. Anyways, if this helps you at all to put together a cosplay, I’d love to see it!

[snek-panini]

Looking for some advice from my fellow bookbinders.

I really want to learn how to do gilded/foiled edges on my next book but I've never done any gilding on anything and it looks...intimidating. Even from the tutorials. I'm tempted to just buy a gold leaf kit for a first try. Anyone done that on a book? Can you use a regular basic kit for that or is regular gold leaf somehow different from what you'd use for a book? I saw a lot of tutorials saying to put talcum powder on the pages before doing this but it looks like everything else I'd need (adhesive, varnish, gold leaf sheets) would come in the kit.

Or is it easier to do foil? I saw a couple of tutorials for foiling the edges with a cricut heat press, which I already have. What kind of foil would you recommend for it, and where do you buy it from?

[casp1an-sea]

STAR WARS But Better Part 10

FINAL PART

I know this one is a bit longer but 10 is a nice number so oh well

here’s the link to the master post so you can get part one: Master post

—————————-

(Meanwhile Luc finds an empty X-wing)

Luc: Am I supposed to get into this?

Flight crew worker: Where's your flight suit?

Luc: Look you guys have really poor management. I don't know what I’m supposed to be doing.

Flight Crew worker: (Hastily shoves an ugly orange jumpsuit into Luc’s arms) Quick get ready and get in that X-wing. (Points to the one Luc was standing by which now has R2D2 in the droid compartment) Your call sign is Red 5, may the force be with you! (Runs off)

Luc: (Drops the flight suit on the floor) Ew. (Begins climbing into the cramped cockpit of the X-wing, only puting the helmet on because the suit was ugly) This place will be receiving a 1 star review!

(R2 beeps in agreement) [Side note while in the X-wing you can understand R2 because the ship translates his beeps)

Luc: Yeah R2! Agree with me because I’m always right!

(R2 beeps the equivalent of Yeah! Lets blow those MFs out of the sky!)

Luc: Oh! Okay then.

(Luc closes the X-wing hatch and straps into the ship)

Obi-wan: The force will be with you always.

Luc: Gramps? What the heck?! (Looking around but it was only a voice)

(There is no response)

Luc: I’ve got an old grandpa haunting me, that's fun.

(A few moments later the possy of x-wings arrive at the death star which is now only minutes from being in range with the rebel base.)

Red Leader: All fighters report in

Red ten: Red ten standing by

Red seven: Red seven standing by

Biggs: Red three standing by

Porkins: Red six standing by

Wedge: Red two standing by

Red eleven: Red eleven standing by

Luc: Ayo what’s popping!

Red leader: (Sternly) Call sign please

Luc: Red five, Jeez bestie.

Red leader: Lock S-foils in attack position. We’re passing through their magnetic field hold tight… okay switch deflectors on! Double Front!

Luc: (Ignoring every order and pressing random buttons) Uh… they should really provide tutorials for these things. 

(R2 beeps and makes the ship do what it’s supposed to)

Luc: Alright then, you fly, I’ll shoot. (Grasps the gun controls)

(R2 beeps happily and steers the x-wings towards the other X-wings)

(The ships come up on the death star)

Wedge: Look at the size of that thing

Luc: Yhea and I already escaped it because I’m cool like that.

Red Leader: Cut the chatter Red 2 and 5

Luc: Okay mom (Rolls eyes)

(Some war talk between old men who cares it just means the fight is starting)

Luc: (Makes a nose dive toward the action) YEAH LETS MURDER THESE GUYS!

Red Leader: I did not give you author-

Luc: Don’t care bye loser (Speeds off into the fight)

(Luc blows up some satellite dishes or something)

Dude in the Yavin war room: Enemy fighters coming your way pilots.

(A group of tie fighters appear one on Bigg’s tail)

Luc: Big man you got a little something behind you.

Biggs: Where? I can’t see it!

(The tie-fighter fires at biggs and misses)

Biggs: I can’t shake em! (Dives towards the Death star)

Luc: (Leasuraly flying upside down) Man I really have to do everything! (Follows behind the Tie chasing biggs. Luc fires and hits) Yeah take that loser!

(Vader is piloting one of the Ties he breaks off and begins following Luc)

Biggs: Watch it wormie!

Wedge: Careful Luc!

(One of the ties hits luc’s hull)

Luc: Hey, Don't touch me without consent! R2 turn the ship around I need to kill someone

Biggs: Luc you turn around you die

Luc: (Hmph) fine!

Red Leader: Red five where are you?

Luc: Uh trying not to die?

Red leader: Well get over here

Luc: I’m contemplating mutiny

Biggs: They have a fighter on their tail we can’t get over there red leader

Luc: Ugh I can’t shake this stupid fighter

Wedge: I got him! (Shoots the tie and Biggs joins in the blaster fire)

Luc: Jeez, is he dead yet?

Wedge: I think so

Luc: Good.

( Gold leader goes into the tench to try and blow up the death star and dies)

Luc: Wow sucks to suck

Red Leader: Re group

Luc: What if I don’t want to?

Red Leader: I can have you court martialed for insubordination

Luc: Oh I’m definitely committing mutiny! (Reluctantly re groups)

(Red leader goes into the trench to blows up the death star, misses, and dies)

Luc: Yeah and stay dead!

Biggs: What your saying could be considered treason

Luc: Good! I hate him. Once this is over I’m gonna stomp on his grave… Now what?

Wedge: I don’t know you’re the boss

Luc: What? Why?

Biggs: You’re the main character

Luc: Fair enough… uhhhhhh, let’s blow up the death star I guess

Biggs: Alright we're going in

Luc: I can’t decide whether I like being in charge or not, never mind I do. Wedge do a backflip with your X-wing.

Wedge: What?! Were in the middle of a war I could die.

Luc: I don’t care!

Wedge: Fine! (Quickly flips his ship)

(The three dive into the trench, the X-wings following close.)

Wedge: There to close I can’t stay

Luc: Okay coward bye we don’t like you!

(Wedge leaves. Luc gets their shot lined up as the ties close in on Biggs. Vader pulls the trigger and blows up biggs)

Luc: Big man? (Turns and sees he’s dead) Well slay literally.

(3 tie fighters charge down the trench towards luc. Vader is in the middle, his sights locked on the X-wing.

Luc: Great guess I have to be the protagonist now! (Aims toward the exhaust port on the death star getting ready to fire.)

Ghosti-wan: use the force luc…

Luc: (Looks up at the stars seeing no one) Gramps can you stop doing that this is really a bad time?

Ghosti-wan: let go…

Luc: Hey when where you gonna tell me you were suicidal?

Ghosti-wan: LET GO!

Luc: Alright jeez! (Let’s go off the controls) Jesus take the wheel!

Ghosti-wan: No, not literally! Meantaly.

Luc: Well maybe you should try being more clear! (Luc shuts off their targeting computer, grips the guns and closes their eyes allowing the force to flow through them.)

Vader: The force is strong with this one…

Rebel guy in the base: Their computer is off. Luc your targeting computer is off! What’s wrong?

Luc: Nothing! Leave me alone! (returns to the zone)

(Vader locks onto Luc’s ship and fires hitting R2)

Luc: Well guess I have to learn to fly now!

Ghosti-wan: USE THE FORCE

Luc: OKAY! I get it!

 (They close their eyes again and their body subconsciously flies the ship via the force bc Luc is just amazing like that)

(On the death star)

Imperial Officer: Rebel base in range.

Tarkin: You may fire when ready!

(The death star begins powering up seconds away from firing. Will Luc make the shot? Will Vader kill them??? OH THE SUSPENSE!)

Vader: (Lines up a shot) I have you now!

(The two other tie-fighters close in on Luc as well making it impossible to escape)

Luc: Well I guess I die now!

(Suddenly Vader takes a surprise hit from a ship flying in from above sending him spinning through space)

Vader: What.

(The Falcon flies above the trench. It dives into the trench on a crash course with the remaining tie fighters. Scared the pilots fall for the trick and accidentally crash into each other as they try to evade the Falcon)

Han: (Over the Com) Yahoo! You’re all clear kid now let's blow this thing and go home!

(Luc stretches out with the force and at the last second fires. Both torpedoes make it in and the two ships fly away from the death star as fast as they can. Flying through space with the giant explosion behind them.)

(As they fly back to the base)

Han: Great kid! That shot was 1 in a million!

Ghosti-wan: Remember the force will be with you… always…

Luc: Yeah great I blew up the death star but can someone please tell this ghost to stop stalking me and giving me cryptic messages! It’s kinda annoying.

Han: What?!

Luc: Nevermind your brain would never be able to process the information

Han: I feel like that's an insult

Luc: I don’t know

(The ships land back on Yavin four with the rest of the rebels bc somehow not everyone died)

Leia: Luc! Luc! Luc!

(She throws her arms around both Han and Luc. Luc is disgusted and attempts to get away from Leia's grasp.)

Luc: (Peals Leia’s arm off of them) We’re not that close! DON’T touch me!

Leia: Oh I’m sorry. I’m just excited! We actually did it!

Han: We? What did you do?

Leia: Alright fine Luc actually did it!

Han: Hey!

Luc: Yeah that’s right! Han doesn’t exist!

Leia: (To Han) I will say I’m shocked you came back

Han: Hey I wasn’t gonna let them have all the glory

Luc: Chewie talked him into it

Han: Well maybe… but I’m here nonetheless.

Leia: (Sarcastically) I’m so happy! 

Han: Hey what’d I do

Leia: I’m kidding I’m glad you came back

Luc: I’m not!

(He ignores Luc’s remark, turning to Threepio who is running around frantically)

Threepio: OH DEAR OH DEAR! R2 why must you always get yourself into trouble!

Han: What’s wrong with him?

Luc: His bestie got shot

Threepio: Sir Sir! Do you think they can repair him? I’ll gladly donate any parts he may need.

Luc: I don’t know I’m not a mechanic why are you asking me? Still I like that little guy. TECHNICIAN?!

Technician: He’ll be fine

Threepio: Oh thank the maker!

Luc: Threepio you should audition for a soap opera

Threepio: Oh I’m not very good at performing sir.

Luc: Mhm…

  (Luke, Han, and Chewbacca enter the huge ruins of the main 

               temple. Hundreds of troops are lined up in neat rows. Banners 

               are flying and at the far end stands a vision in white, the 

               beautiful Princess Leia. Luc and the others solemnly 

               march up the long aisle and kneel in front of the princess (Except for Luc who definitely stands). From 

               one side of the temple marches a shined-up and fully repaired 

               Artoo-Detoo. He waddles up to the group and stands next to 

               an equally pristine Threepio, who is rather awestruck by the 

               whole event. Chewbacca is confused (Why? Idk that’s just what the script says). Dodonna and several other 

               dignitaries sit on the left of Princess Leia. Leia is 

               dressed in a long white dress and is staggeringly beautiful.  

               She rises and places a gold medallion around Han's neck. He 

               winks at her. )

Luc: (mumbles) EW

(She then repeats the ceremony with Luc. They turn and face the assembled 

               troops, who all bow before them.

Luc: YES BOW TO ME PEASANTS! 

(Chewbacca growls and R2 beeps with happiness. Luc notices that Chewie does not have a medal. They have a genius Idea. They walk away from their position in the middle of the ceremony and go over to Han. Han gives them a confused look then they grab Han’s medal and rip it from his neck)

Han: (Trying to get his medal back from the gremlin) Hey! What’s the big Idea.

(Luc happily skips over Chewie's attempts to put it around Chewie's neck, decides they're too short and hands it to him instead.)

Luc:(Hands chewie the medal)  Here! (Innocent smile)

(Chewie puts the medal on shrugging as Han stands shocked behind his friend. Luc returns to their spot as if nothing happens and there is some awkward silence followed by awkward clapping and finally and that’s where our story ends… for now.)

★☆★

—————————————————————————

@xen-blank, @thehollowwriter, @l7k-a, @ferris-the-wheel, @keii-starz

@krenenbaker @elenauaurs @the-banana-0verlord @edith-is-a-cat @dove-da-birb

@theosb0rnway

I excluded anyone who didn’t specify a fandom let me know if you’d like to be added or removed

@sunshinechildskywalker, @xentari94 your not on my tag list but it’s Star Wars so I thought you might like it

[boxfactoryae]

Top Trends in Luxury Box Packaging for Dubai’s High-End Brands in 2025

Dubai a city synonymous with opulence, innovation, and uncompromising style — is home to some of the world’s most exclusive brands. From high-end fashion houses to luxury watchmakers and gourmet confectioners, presentation is everything. And in 2025, luxury box packaging in Dubai is evolving to meet the growing demands of aesthetics, sustainability, and personalization.

In this article, we explore the top trends shaping luxury packaging for premium brands in Dubai, and how these trends reflect a fusion of technology, craftsmanship, and brand storytelling.

Sustainable Luxury: Eco-Friendly Materials with an Elegant Twist

The luxury sector is redefining sustainability. In 2025, eco-consciousness is no longer a niche value — it’s a brand standard. High-end businesses in Dubai are choosing sustainable packaging materials like recycled cardboard, biodegradable coatings, soy-based inks, and FSC-certified paper.

However, this doesn’t mean compromising on elegance. Many luxury box packaging suppliers are using textured eco-paper, velvet-touch laminates, and gold foil stamping to maintain a premium feel. Packaging now combines environmental responsibility with the unmistakable touch of class expected in Dubai’s luxury market.

Why it matters: Modern consumers care about the planet — especially Dubai’s affluent Gen Z and millennial shoppers. Packaging that reflects green values adds brand trust and elevates consumer perception.

Smart Packaging: NFC & QR Integration

Luxury brands are leveraging smart packaging technology to create immersive brand experiences. In 2025, you’ll find NFC chips and QR codes embedded in luxury boxes that:

Provide product authentication

Offer exclusive content (e.g., behind-the-scenes videos or usage tutorials)

Enable customer registration or loyalty programs

These innovations are particularly relevant for high-value items like perfumes, watches, and fine jewelry — where counterfeiting is a concern.

Example: A luxury perfume box might link to a personalized video story about the scent’s creation, enhancing emotional connection and brand engagement.

Minimalist Sophistication: Less is Luxe

Luxury in 2025 is about refined minimalism. Clean lines, soft color palettes (think ivory, charcoal, nude), and subtle textures are dominating packaging design. Instead of flashy graphics, brands are choosing blind embossing, monotone logos, and tactile materials to create understated elegance.

This trend fits well with Dubai’s luxury aesthetic — sleek, modern, and world-class.

Design tip: Pair minimal designs with structural creativity (like magnetic closures or ribbon pulls) to maintain a tactile sense of indulgence.

Bespoke Experiences: Personalization at Scale

One-size-fits-all doesn’t cut it anymore. High-end clients in Dubai expect exclusivity, and personalized luxury packaging delivers just that. Brands are investing in packaging solutions that include:

Custom name printing

Occasion-based themes (weddings, Eid, product launches)

Luxury gift-wrapping services

With advancements in digital printing, personalization is now possible at scale without inflating costs. Whether it’s a monogrammed lid or a box design tailored to a client’s preferences, personalized packaging elevates the entire unboxing moment.

Multisensory Packaging: Beyond Visual Appeal

2025’s luxury packaging is an experience for all five senses. High-end brands are using:

Aromatized boxes that release a subtle signature scent

Soft-touch finishes for tactile delight

Magnetic closures with a satisfying click

Audio notes activated on box opening for select ultra-luxury products

In Dubai’s luxury scene, where every detail matters, creating a memorable unboxing moment builds long-term brand loyalty and makes the product feel even more exclusive.

Architectural Structures: Box as an Art Piece

Brands are moving beyond conventional box shapes. We’re seeing avant-garde packaging structures — including fold-out displays, origami-style openings, and dual-layer compartments.

These architectural boxes serve more than just aesthetics. They're Instagram-worthy, collectible, and often reused by customers for personal storage, extending brand visibility long after the purchase.

Luxury meets innovation: Dubai-based jewelers and fashion houses are using box designs inspired by local architecture — such as domes, minarets, or desert dunes — making packaging a true piece of art.

Transparent Storytelling: Inside-Out Packaging Design

In 2025, packaging is being used as a medium of storytelling. Brands in Dubai are adding story cards, handwritten notes, and even AR-enabled content that shares the heritage of the brand, the artistry of the product, or the values behind the creation.

Some luxury boxes now have transparent windows or partially open designs to let the product itself do the talking — especially relevant for cosmetics and gourmet brands.

Cultural Fusion: Celebrating Arabic Elegance

Dubai’s packaging industry is also seeing a rise in cultural integration. Luxury boxes designed for the UAE market are reflecting Arabic motifs, calligraphy, and regional aesthetics. Brands are tapping into local traditions, especially for festive seasons like Ramadan, National Day, and Eid.

Examples of cultural fusion packaging trends:

Gold foil Arabic scripts

Sadu patterns on rigid boxes

Camel leather textures for limited editions

Final Thoughts: Elevating the Standard of Luxury Box Packaging in Dubai

The world of luxury box packaging in Dubai is no longer just about visual appeal — it’s about experience, technology, personalization, and purpose. As we move deeper into 2025, brands that adopt these trends will set themselves apart in a competitive luxury landscape.

Whether you’re launching a high-end skincare line, a bespoke jewelry brand, or a luxury gifting service, your packaging is the first touchpoint — and often the most lasting impression.