Embossed Aluminum Foil Art Panel

Heavy-duty aluminum foil (thicker than regular foil)

Ballpoint pen or a dried-up pen for pressing

Paper for drawing the design

Tape

A stack of newspapers or a thick magazine to work on (the soft surface allows the foil to indent)

Black cardboard for mounting the finished piece

Cut a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 8 by 10 inches. Tape it flat and smooth onto a soft surface — a stack of newspapers or a thick magazine. The soft backing allows the foil to indent without tearing.

Draw your design on paper first. Choose something with bold, clear lines — an animal, a mandala, a geometric pattern, or a portrait. Keep it simple for the first attempt.

Place the paper design face-up on top of the foil. Tape the corners so nothing shifts.

Trace over every line of the design firmly with a ballpoint pen. Press hard enough to indent the foil through the paper, but not so hard you tear through.

Remove the paper. The foil now has your design pressed into it as indented grooves.

Flip the foil over. What was indented from the front is now raised from the back — this is the embossed effect.

Work from both sides to add depth. Press areas down from the front to create low points, push areas up from the back to create high points.

Mount the finished foil on black cardboard with tape for a dramatic framed display.

The soft backing is essential. On a hard surface, the foil will not indent properly. Newspaper stacks work perfectly.

Heavy-duty foil is much less likely to tear than regular foil. It is worth the small extra cost.

This technique is called repousse and has been used in metalwork for thousands of years. Ancient shields, decorative plates, and architectural ornaments were all made this way.

Use the tip of the pen for fine lines and the barrel for broader, softer indentations.

Try coloring the foil with permanent markers after embossing for a stained-glass effect.