I was first introduced to heat embossing about a year ago when a letterer I followed on Instagram showed the technique as a way to make lettering stand out. I quickly bought the heat gun, a powder or two, and pens to teach myself. I soon found out that heat embossing is the perfect way to personalize just about everything. This is my first Christmas with this skill under my belt, and I’ve planned multiple ways to incorporate the heat embossing technique into each one of my gifts.

I’ve always been a fan of personalizing gifts. I think it gives it this extra flair and love that other gifts do not. So, as you’re planning your gifts this holiday season, consider investing in the tools and personalize gifts that your family and friends will love! It’s not very expensive; blank gifts that have yet to be personalized plus the cost of the heat embossing tools will most likely be much less than actually buying pre-personalized gifts from a store like Etsy. Though I’ll always understand people not wanting to put in the effort (or frankly, feeling like they don’t have the skill), but for those who want to try something new this season, give heat embossing a try!

 

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THE TOOLS

 

 

• A HEAT GUN: A special tool that looks like a smaller hair dryer, but heats up quickly. Heat guns are commonly found in garages for use with cars, but they sell special craft ones that work in multiple ways. Hair dryers are not a suitable replacement (although they look similar) because they do not get hot enough. Find the heat tool I use HERE.
• EMBOSSING PENS: I personally use Ranger embossing pens, though there are a number of brands that may work just as well. I like the bullet pens, as they are easier to handle and write smoothly. These pens come in black and clear, but I choose the clear because sometimes the black shows up underneath after you put on the powder.
• EMBOSSING POWDER: These powders come in a bunch of colors, and there are multiple brands that work. I use Ranger embossing powders in a variety of colors, including metallic, tinsel/sparkle, and bright colors. Each of these emboss in a different way, so I recommend testing them first!
• OTHER: Pens are my medium of choice for heat embossing, but you can also use embossing pads (similar to stamp pads) and regular stamps to heat emboss pre-made patterns and images. You can also use a dryer sheet or an “embossing buddy” to rub on your material prior to drawing to help powder only stick to where you want it to stick.

 

WHAT TO EMBOSS ON

 

Heat embossing works with so many different materials. For the sake of this post, I took pictures of a few different materials that I am using to create my Christmas gifts. The possibilities are endless.

Personally, I’ve heat embossed on paper, ceramic, glass, wood, and canvas. The only thing to note when it comes to how heat embossing changes based on the material you choose is the time it takes for the powder to melt. Paper takes virtually no time at all, but the thicker materials take a long time to heat up enough to make the powder melt. Slicker materials, like glossy ceramic, seems to take the longest. Just be sure to watch how long you heat certain materials! If you’re doing a lot of embossing on ceramic, take breaks between different areas because ceramic has been known to crack if it gets too hot.

 

THE TECHNIQUE

 

 

Of all the craft things I do, heat embossing is one of the easiest. Although I’ve grown with my technique, being able to create more intricate lettering and designs, simple design with the pens is very easy.

 

 

Use the pens to write your design on your material. Whether that be words or drawings, anything can be heat embossed. The pens are made to be sticky, so you don’t have to rush to get the powder on (within reason – don’t leave it for more than 10-20 minutes otherwise it could dry out). I use the bullet pens, so when I do my lettering, I use “faux calligraphy” – if you’d like to learn how, check out my blog post on the technique here.

 

 

Pour the powder of your choice so the whole drawing is covered.

 

 

 

Dump the excess off onto a piece of paper so you can easily put it back in the container. Depending on which material you are heat embossing on, extra powder can get stuck around the design. I use a small paint brush to carefully brush around the design so there is no extra. If you leave the extra on there, it will be permanently stuck once you use the heat gun.

 

 

Use your heat gun to melt the powder. Because the gun looks like a hair dryer, many people automatically want to wave it back and forth like you do when drying hair. But the correct way to use the heat gun is to hold it still about an inch away until it begins to transform. It’ll be very obvious when it transforms, just be careful not to hold the gun over the design for too long after or the embossing powder can burn.

 

 

 

And now you’re ready to give the best gifts this holiday season!

 

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Looking for some other ideas for Christmas presents this year? Here are a few more that I did:

 

ORNAMENTS

 

MUGS

 

JEWELRY DISHES

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