Flexible Cream Paste Embellishments for a Vintage Christmas Snow Globe
Have you ever found a beautiful shallow silicone mold and discovered that clay just does not capture the details well?
In this tutorial, Donna from Mason Creations etc. demonstrates a different approach: using Stamperia Cream Paste to make flexible molded embellishments.
The finished project combines Christmas rice paper, molded foliage, soft sage paint, antiquing, pearlescent snowflakes, gold highlights, and air-dry clay trim to turn a plain MDF snow globe shape into an elegant vintage-style Christmas decoration.
Watch the video below to see Donna complete the full project, then follow the steps to make your own.
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Materials You Can Shop Here
You can shop the featured finishes and supplies below, then use the tutorial steps to bring the project together.
- Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish
- Christmas Rice Paper
- Chunky Snow Globe Cutout
- Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
- Pentart Acrylic Paint
- Dixie Belle Pearlescent Glaze
- Texture Paste
- Air Dry Clay
- Silicone Mold
- Adhesive
- Antiquing Wax
- Brushes & Tools
Also Needed
Stamperia Cream Paste, Gold Christmas foliage
Step 1: Paint the MDF Base White
Begin with the MDF snow globe or similar wooden base.
Paint the area that will receive the rice paper white.
Rice paper and napkins are translucent, so a white background helps the printed colors remain bright and prevents the image from becoming dull.
Let the paint dry completely.
Step 2: Position the Christmas Rice Paper
Donna chooses a scene featuring three little girls looking at a large Christmas tree.
Position the paper so the main elements fit comfortably within the snow globe opening and so as much of the large tree as possible remains visible.
Take a moment to test the placement before applying adhesive.
Step 3: Decoupage the Rice Paper
Brush Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish in Satin onto one side of the MDF surface.
Lay the rice paper down and press it gently into the varnish with your brush, adding more varnish over the top as you go.
Move to the opposite side and continue until the entire image is attached.
Step 4: Smooth the Paper
Mist a piece of plastic cut from a storage bag with water.
Lay the damp plastic over the freshly decoupaged image and use a folded paper towel to press from the center outward.
This helps remove bubbles without rubbing directly against the rice paper.
Lift the plastic carefully and allow the paper to dry for a couple of hours.
Step 5: Remove the Excess Paper
Once dry, use medium-grit sandpaper around the perimeter of the MDF.
The sandpaper cuts away the extra rice paper and leaves a clean edge.
Wipe away all sanding dust before sealing.
Step 6: Build a Smooth Varnished Finish
Apply another coat of Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish and let it dry.
For an even smoother finish, lightly sand the dry varnish with fine-grit sandpaper, remove the dust, then apply another coat.
Donna uses a Polyvine varnish brush for the final coat because it spreads the varnish evenly and helps reduce brush marks.
Making Flexible Embellishments with Cream Paste
Step 7: Fill a Shallow Silicone Mold
For shallow, detailed molds, Donna uses Stamperia Cream Paste instead of air-dry clay.
Press the Cream Paste into the recessed areas with a palette knife.
Scrape the top flat so the paste remains primarily inside the molded design.
Step 8: Let the Paste Dry Overnight
Do not try to remove the paste too early.
Leave it in the mold overnight so it has time to set completely.
This gives the thin embellishments enough strength to come out cleanly.
Step 9: Clean the Mold Surface
The next day, use a paper towel and a little alcohol to remove dried excess paste from the top surface of the mold.
This helps create clean edges before unmolding.
Step 10: Remove the Flexible Embellishments
Gently peel the dried Cream Paste pieces from the mold.
Trim away any small extra areas by hand or with scissors.
Unlike a rigid clay casting, these pieces remain flexible enough to curve around round or uneven surfaces.
That flexibility is especially helpful on wreaths, ornaments, frames, and dimensional projects.
Building the Foliage Frame
Step 11: Arrange the Molded Greenery
Lay the flexible foliage around the circular overlay frame.
Trim stems where necessary so the pieces fit the design.
Donna deliberately avoids making both sides identical. She uses different sizes and leaves out one matching piece at the bottom so the composition remains slightly asymmetrical.
Step 12: Paint a Muted Sage Green
Mix Pentart Country Green with Dixie Belle Cotton to lighten it.
Add a little Dixie Belle Magnolia to warm the color.
Donna adjusts the blend until it coordinates with the greenery already printed in the rice paper.
Paint the molded foliage with this custom sage.
Step 13: Paint the Pinecones and Snowflakes
Use Dixie Belle Drop Cloth for the pinecones.
Paint the molded snowflakes with Dixie Belle Cotton.
Let everything dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 14: Seal Before Antiquing
Brush varnish over the entire decorative frame.
A satin or gloss surface is important before antiquing because it gives you time to wipe the antique back from the high areas while leaving it in the recessed detail.
Let the varnish dry for about an hour.
Creating a Softer Custom Antique
Step 15: Mix the Antique Glaze
Donna wants a softer, cooler antique than she normally uses.
She begins with glazing medium, then adds a very small amount of Pentart Hazelnut.
Because the mixture is too warm, she adds dark gray.
A little water makes the glaze runnier, and a tiny amount of black deepens the color.
The glazing medium extends the working time, making the antique easier to manipulate.
Step 16: Apply and Wipe Back the Antique
Brush the custom antique over the embellishments.
Work in small sections.
Immediately wipe the surface with a soft, dry cloth.
The color remains in the cracks and crevices while wiping away from the high points, revealing more of the molded detail.
Step 17: Dry Brush for a Frosted Look
Once the antique is dry, use white paint to dry brush the entire frame.
Load only a tiny amount of paint onto the brush and wipe most of it off before lightly skimming the raised areas.
Keep the paint on the high points rather than pushing it into the crevices.
This adds a soft frosted appearance similar to the wintery look in the rice paper.
Step 18: Seal the Frame Again
Apply another coat of varnish over the finished antiquing and dry brushing.
Let it dry before moving on to the decorative finishes.
Step 19: Add Pearlescent Snowflakes
Brush Dixie Belle Pearlescent Glaze over the snowflakes.
The glaze gives them a subtle shimmer without covering the white paint underneath.
Donna notes that this product does not require an additional sealer.
Step 20: Add Gold Highlights
Use Redesign DĂ©cor Wax in Eternal to lightly highlight the edges of the greenery and pinecones.
Donna uses a very small brush so she can control the placement precisely.
The goal is not full gold coverage. Just catch the tips and raised details.
Let the wax dry thoroughly.
Assemble the Snow Globe
Step 21: Glue the Frame to the Decoupaged Base
Use Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach the decorated circular frame to the decoupaged snow globe.
Donna prefers tacky glue here because hot glue can create lumps and sets too quickly for careful positioning.
Clamp the pieces together while they dry.
Clean away any glue that squeezes out.
Step 22: Add Shadow Beneath the Foliage
To make the foliage appear more dimensional, apply diluted antiquing medium directly underneath the molded greenery.
Wipe back the excess with a soft cloth.
The darker line creates a subtle shadow and visually lifts the foliage away from the snow globe background.
Seal the antiquing with another coat of varnish.
Adding Air-Dry Clay Trim to the Base
Step 23: Make the Clay Moldings
Press DAS air-dry clay into the selected mold.
Place the filled mold in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Freezing firms the clay so the molded pieces release more cleanly.
Let the pieces thaw for just a few minutes.
Step 24: Attach the Clay to the Base
Use Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach the damp clay pieces to the MDF base.
Keeping the clay damp allows it to conform to the project as it dries.
Step 25: Create Mitered Corners
Where two clay trim pieces meet at a corner, overlap them.
Make one diagonal cut through both pieces.
Remove the excess and bring the two cut edges together.
This creates a clean mitered corner.
Step 26: Fill Shrinkage Gaps
Air-dry clay can shrink slightly while drying.
If small gaps appear at the corners, fill them with texture paste.
Smooth the paste with a damp brush and let it dry.
Step 27: Match the Base to the Frame
Paint the clay trim with the same muted sage green used on the foliage.
Apply the same custom antiquing technique and finish with varnish.
Then add Redesign Eternal wax to the raised areas so the base and upper frame share the same gold highlights.
Finish the Display
Step 28: Assemble the Base and Globe
Glue the finished snow globe into the MDF base using Aleene’s Tacky Glue.
Be careful not to allow thick paint or glue buildup inside the slot where the globe tab needs to fit.
Let the assembly dry completely.
Step 29: Buff the Gold Wax
Once the Eternal wax has dried for several hours, buff it lightly with a soft, dry cloth.
This brings out a brighter gold shine.
Step 30: Add Final Foliage and Pearls
Donna finishes the piece with small sections of white-gold decorative foliage and pearls.
Cut larger branches into smaller pieces and experiment with placement before gluing.
Again, avoid making the arrangement perfectly symmetrical.
A few carefully placed asymmetrical details can make the finished composition feel more natural and visually interesting.
Why Cream Paste Works So Well for Shallow Molds
The most useful takeaway from this project is how effectively Cream Paste handles molds that are too shallow or delicate for traditional clay.
Once dry, the molded pieces retain their detail but remain flexible enough to wrap around curved surfaces. That opens up many possibilities for wreaths, ornaments, boxes, frames, jars, and other dimensional crafts.
Paired with soft sage paint, antiquing, frosted dry brushing, pearl shimmer, and subtle gold highlights, the molded details become an important part of the finished vintage look.
A special thank-you to Donna from Mason Creations etc. for sharing this creative Cream Paste technique and showing another way to work with detailed molds.
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