Introduction: Adventure Time Fuzzy Velour Poster

By www.sentfrommars.com
About: A person who enjoys making things!

Fuzzy Poster Time!

Remember those fuzzy posters that came with markers so you could color them in? Or am I just old? haha : ) They actually still make these but I haven't seen them around too much recently.

A while ago I came across some velvet/velour paper and thought it would be fun to make my own fuzzy poster! And even funner to make it Adventure Time Themed!

The fuzzy posters you find in stores are made using a flocking method to get that fuzzy texture but the velour paper I used is an easier technique that anyone can do, and since it has a velvet type feel you get the same fuzzy effect!

*This project involves a lot of intricate cutting which can be created using an X-acto Knife and even better...using a laser!*


Step 1: Designing the Poster

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

  • Computer
  • Printer
  • Pencil

Materials:

  • Paper

You can use this technique to create any design you want for a fuzzy poster but here are the steps I went through while creating my Adventure Time Themed Fuzzy Poster.

To design the poster I started out by choosing a theme, which for me was Adventure Time! Then I did some "rough" sketches and planned out what characters I wanted to incorporate and what I wanted them to be doing. I decided that treasure would be really fun to draw and then sketched out some of my favorite characters playing in a pile of gold and jewels. I used references images from Google so I could get the characters right and make it look as authentic as possible.

Since I knew I would be cutting out all of the pieces by hand, I tried to avoid creating really tiny areas, there are a few but they were all do-able : ) . I Also tried to make the whole design connect as much as possible so that the paper would keep its structure and be easier to manage once I glued it to a poster backing. There are some areas such as the eyes and mouths where I had some "floating" pieces, meaning that they were not connected/touching the main design but it was not hard to glue on these areas in the end.

Once I had my sketch finalized I scanned it into my computer and traced it in Illustrator. I determined the size based off of the largest piece of velour paper I could find which happened to be 20" x 26".

When I finished the design, the last thing I needed to do was to flip the image so it was backwards. Since the design will be used as a template and glued to the back of the velour paper you want to make sure to flip the image so is faces the correct direction on the velour side.

* I've included the file for this design so you can make the same poster! It is 8 pages total. I've also included a smaller 8.5" x 11" size so you can scale to any size you want : )*

Attachments

Step 2: Attach the Template

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Cutting Mat
  • Computer
  • Printer

Materials:

  • Velour Paper - I purchased mine here in black and they sent me a coupon so if you use this link you will get 10% off your purchase : )
  • Tape
  • Template
  • Spray Glue (I purchased mine here)
  • Scrap Paper

The first step in attaching the template is to print out the design. I printed mine out on 2 sheets of 13X19 paper.

Once printed, you want to line up both sheets correctly and tape them together. I used a very small amount of tape so that I would not have to cut through it while cutting out the design.

I also trimmed off the border of the design so that I could center the template evenly on the velour paper.

Before attaching the template, I also created registration marks on the back of the velour paper so that I knew where to place the template to ensure it had an even border width.

The next step was to add spray glue to the back of the template. I set up an area outside and laid out some scrap newspaper to avoid getting spray glue everywhere, that is a pain to clean up! Then I added an even coat to the entire back of the template.

I let the glue get tacky for a minute and then attached the template to the back side of the velour paper, using my registration marks as a guide to line it up correctly. Then pressed in in place.

*Notes

This was my first time using this particular velour paper and I was very happy with the quality. I included a close up to try to show the texture of the paper which is a little difficult to see in a photo. The paper was thicker than I thought which was a nice bonus and worked great for this project. My only problem with ordering this paper was that you had to have a minimum purchase of $20.00 in order to buy anything, but since I wanted the paper I just stocked up on a few other items.

For the spray glue, I am a big fan of Scotch Super 77. I have tried several different kinds but for me, this glue gives the best spray and you also have some working time to adjust it before it gets a secure bond.

Step 3: Cut Out the Design

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

  • Cutting Mat
  • X-acto Knife
  • Ruler

Materials:

  • Velour Paper with Template attached

*Be Very Careful While Cutting Out The Design! Slow and steady wins the race!* : )

The Next step it to begin cutting out the design! Wow! Would be so much easier with a Zing 16 Laser! ; )

I started out by changing my X-acto blade to make sure the process went as smoothly as possible, changing your blade will make a huge difference! I also added a piece of putty to the back of the X-acto knife blade for some extra comfort, the way I hold it makes my fingers actually land on the back of the blade so this was a life-saver.

I cut the small areas first so I would keep the structure of the paper and so it would not get too flimsy.

The rounded areas were the hardest for me but I just went slowly and they came out clean.

I left all areas with "floating" pieces (eyes/mouths) for last, and set them aside for the next step.

Step 4: Glue Velour Paper to Poster

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

  • Scissors
  • Small Paint Brush

Materials:

The next step is to attach the velour paper to a poster board backing.

Before applying the glue, I removed the paper template from the back of the velour paper, this isn't necessary but it made a tighter bond to the poster board backing.

I set up a spray glue area using scrap paper and laid the velour paper with the velour side facing down.

I applied an even amount of spray glue and let the glue get tacky for a minute.

After the glue got tacky I transferred the velour paper to a table, with the velour side still facing down. I made sure the poster was straight and that all the details were lined up correctly. Then I placed the poster board backing on top of the velour paper and pressed it firmly into place making sure I got a very secure bond. (After cutting out the intricate design details, the velour paper got very flimsy, lost its structure and was very difficult to handle. By attaching the poster board backing on top of the velour paper I didn't have to worry about aligning the delicate details.)

I used a poster board that was larger than my velour paper so I also didn't have to worry about lining up the edges, instead I just trimmed off the excess.

The next step was to take care of those "floating" face pieces. I laid them out around the edge of my poster, close to where they were going to be applied. I attached each piece one at a time, cutting out the small little eyeballs and mouths while using the base piece as a guide for placement. I peeled off the paper template after cutting each piece and applied the glue to the back side of the velour paper and pressed the pieces firmly into place. Some of the eyeballs were really small! So you need a little patience here : )

The end result came out great and even better than I imagined!

And now the poster is ready for some color!

Step 5: Color and ENJOY!

The last step is to color your poster and Enjoy!! : ) Give your poster a treat and pet it for coming out so nicely! Give it as gift and surprise someone special! Hang it up on your wall and get excited every time you walk by!

*I'll be updating with pictures of my colored poster shortly! Just debating on the perfect color combination!*