Dragonscale Paper Koi Wedding Decor

The legend of the koi states that when a koi fish travels up the Yellow River, it becomes a dragon. This Dragonscale Paper Koi Wedding Decor perfectly represents the adversities you and your soulmate had to overcome for your relationship to blossom. Like the koi fish, you took your destiny into your own hands and your relationship became something magnificent and powerful. Your DIY wedding decorations should have some meaning, and there are few more succinct and lovely than this one. Your guests will be absolutely stunned at the beauty of this piece.

Time to Complete: Weekend project

Primary Technique: Paper Crafts

Estimated Cost: $31+

Materials:

• EK Tools 1 1/4" Scallop Square Punch
• EK Tools 1" Scallop Square Punch
• K&Company Essentials Dark Designer Paper Pad
• Inkadinkado Soft Tones Blending Chalks
• EK Tools 3D-Dots 1/16 Inch Thick Foam Adhesive Circles

Instructions

1. Draw fish (or enlarge image from internet and trace) onto cardstock.

2. Punch yellow and orange paper with 1 1/2 inch scallop square punch.

3. Adhere squares to be orange on one side, yellow on the other. Chalk edges.

4. Curl into cones. Beginning at the tip of the back fin, attach cones to fin with 3-D Dots staggering in brick fashion to cover background.

5. Repeat on other large fin beginning at tip and working toward the body, reversing the color showing in the cone as shown.

6. With 1 1/4 inch scallop square punch orange squares, chalk and roll into cones. Attach to smaller fins working from tip in as shown.

7. Using 1 1/4 inch scallop square punch 10-12 each of yellow and orange and chalk two sides. Turning diagonally, layer to look like fins on fish body starting with the orange staggering in brick fashion as shown. Allow to hang over the edges of fish body to cover all cardstock.

8. Cover nose with yellow paper and trim excess paper to edge of the fish.

9. Add button eye to complete

10. Paint canvas mixing colors with horizontal strokes, darker at the edges and lighter in the center. Let dry.

11. Dip tooth brush in orange paint and then in water and run thumb across the bristles pointing at the canvas to create splatters. Repeat with yellow and white.

12. Use 3-D Dots to adhere fish to canvas as shown.