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Activities / Pembarthi Metal Craft / Pembarthi Embossed Foil Coaster

Pembarthi Embossed Foil Coaster

Embossed Foil Coaster: A First Pembarthi-Inspired Relief Exercise

Level
Beginner
Duration
45 - 90 mins
Budget
₹432 – ₹1,009
Age
10+
State
Telangana

Materials

  • Disposable aluminium foil tray (half size, flat base)
  • Black acrylic paint
  • Plain round cork coaster, 10 cm (4 in)
  • Clear craft glue
  • Dry ballpoint pen (one that no longer writes) and a spoon
  • Mouse pad or folded towel, damp cloth, newspaper
  • Old scissors and a pencil

Steps

  1. Learn the idea and lay out your foil, pad and tools
    Pembarthi artisans in Telangana hammer brass sheet into raised patterns. This is an inspired-by exercise: you will press a pattern into thin foil with a blunt stylus instead of a hammer. Lay out a foil tray, scissors, a dry ballpoint pen, a spoon, a mouse pad or folded towel, black acrylic paint, a cork coaster, glue and a damp cloth. Cover the table with newspaper.
  2. Cut the base of a foil tray into a flat 9 cm circle
    Cut the flat bottom out of the tray with old scissors and press it flat on the table with your palm. Trace around a cup or jar lid about 9 cm (3.5 in) across with the ballpoint pen. Cut along the line to get a circle that fits inside the 10 cm (4 in) cork coaster. Cut slowly. Common mistake: using kitchen scissors you love, because foil blunts them.
    Tip: Cut the circle slightly bigger than needed, then trim to the line, so the edge is smooth.
  3. Smooth the edge and place the foil on a soft pad
    Run your fingertip around the cut edge to check there are no sharp spikes. Press down any spikes flat with the back of a spoon. Lay the foil face up on a mouse pad or a folded towel. The pad must be soft enough for the pen to leave a groove. Hold the foil steady with your free hand, keeping your fingers away from the edge.
  4. Draw a simple flower with a dry ballpoint pen
    Press firmly with the pen, like drawing with a pencil. Start with a small circle about 1 cm across for the centre, then draw 6 plump petals around it, each about 2 cm long. The lines should show as thin grooves with a lighter ridge. Draw slowly and keep one pressure all through. Common mistake: pressing so hard that the foil tears. If you hear a crunch, ease off.
    Tip: Try a practice line on a scrap piece of foil first.
  5. Add a scalloped border and rows of dots
    About 6 mm in from the edge, draw a row of small half-circles side by side to make a scalloped border. Then use the blunt end of a pencil to press a row of dots about 4 mm apart just inside the scallops. Add a dot at the tip of each petal. Even spacing matters more than perfect circles, so count as you go.
  6. Turn the foil over and raise the petals from the back
    Flip the foil so the pressed lines face down on the pad. Rub the back of a spoon in small circles over the middle of each petal, with firm pressure, until it rises like a small cushion on the front. Check the front now and then. Raised shapes catch the light, as in real pembarthi. Stop before the foil stretches thin or splits.
  7. Rub black paint over the foil and wipe off the high spots
    Put a pea-sized blob of black acrylic on your fingertip and rub it thinly over the front, pushing it into the grooves. Within a minute, wipe the surface firmly with a damp cloth. The paint stays in the pressed lines and comes off the raised parts, so the metal shines and the pattern looks dark. If too much comes off, add a little paint and wipe again.
    Tip: Work on a small area at a time, before the paint dries.
  8. Let the foil dry, then glue it onto the cork coaster
    Let the painted foil dry for 15 minutes. Spread a thin layer of craft glue on the cork, right to the edge, and lay the foil on top. Press from the centre outwards with a clean cloth, for about 1 minute. Wipe any glue that oozes out. Place a heavy book on top for 30 minutes so the foil lies flat. Common mistake: too much glue, which bubbles under the foil.
  9. Trim, tidy up and use it for cold drinks
    Check the edge of the foil by touch and press it flat. Cut off any foil that overhangs the cork. Wash your hands, close the paint, and put the leftover foil in a bag for next time. Use the coaster for cold drinks or as decoration, because the foil is thin and conducts heat. Wipe it clean with a dry cloth. Do not soak it in water.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses a foil tray or craft foil; glue is plastic-based. Inspired-by exercise: real Pembarthi relief is hammered into brass sheet

Safety

Cut foil has sharp edges, so fold them under; use a blunt stylus, never a pointed tool; supervise under-12s