Hojalata : A Mexican Tin Art Shrine

Happy Cinco De Mayo!
In honor of today's Mexican holiday, I created a tin art shrine based off Hojalata influence.

Hojalata  typically is flat piece of tin that has been molded or stamped to create candelabra's, jewelry boxes, ornaments, nativity scenes, tiles and more!
Often mirrors and hearts are included in the tin artwork.
Some Hojalata is left to age with natural elements, creating a rustic piece.
The more popular pieces are painted with vibrant colors depending on the Artisans personality and skill level.

I hope you enjoy my tutorial and will be inspired to make your own!

To start, you'll need either a shrine kit like the one below (Mr.Shrine.com) or shrine shaped cardboard cutouts and mixed craft stash to play with.
Craft Paint
Aluminum tape (from the hardware store)
Strong wet adhesive, hot glue gun
Scissors
Sturdy cardstock
Thick foam  pad
Alcohol pens
Stylus or assorted tips. I used paintbrush ends, a paper piercer and a craft scratcher by Tim Holtz.

I started by painting the wood shrine pieces black. Then I painted them a shiny silver. When they were dry, I traced all the pieces onto the cardstock, front and back except for the shrine base.
I cut the pieces from the cardstock and covered only one side with aluminum tape.
With the blunt end of a paintbrush, I carefully carved my designs.
You would only be scratching the surface of the tape if you were to try this on a hard table. The foam pad lets you have a little space for the design to emerge.

 The paper piercer adds fine detail and the scratcher helps with the textured pattern.
When you have finished all your designs, you can begin coloring with the alcohol pens.
Lastly, glue them to the painted wood shapes.

Here is a close up of some of my designs.
You always want to leave some of the foil unpainted for a dramatic effect.

 The heart with wings is probably my favorite. I placed it on the top with a little bit of foam tape for added dimension.
 
 Use your hot glue gun to attach pieces to the foil covered base and each other.

 Drizzle some wet glue on the base and add your random embellishments.
Add a mirror in the back or family photo, maybe of someone special.

Thanks for coming by! I hope you liked my creation. :)
This month is full of many themes- Flowers, Cinco De Mayo and Mothers Day.
To see more inspiring creations like this one, please click on The Designer Crafts Connection button, located to the right of this post.
Thanks!