If you want to give a pristine white paper a browned, unevenly-colored, aged appearance and parchment-like texture, you need to use an aging technique. I love using my own aged paper for my vintage and steampunk projects. It’s also very cost effective because you only need a few ingredients to create this effect instead of buying lots of expensive paper.
There are a few techniques to age paper:
Coffee
I’m not a coffee drinker, but this aroma-filled powder can be much more than just a beverage; it can be used to age paper and give it a brown antique look.
Tea
Tea staining will give you a lighter color and a more subtle result than coffee. You can use the tea bag itself to stain the paper directly or dip the paper in the tea. You can dry the stained paper in the oven or in a sunny place.
Spray and Ink
Use a blender and a combination of distress inks, like walnut and vintage photo, and ink your paper to achieve an aged look. Another technique is to spray the paper with spray ink.
There are so many fun techniques to try. I hope you’ll try at least one because the dramatic, lovely effect is worth it!
What crafts do you use aged paper for? Let us know below in the comments!
Today Einat is a versatile designer who owns her own business. She dabbles in various crafts from scrapbooking and altered art to mixed media and 3D paper crafts. She teaches online classes and design for several companies. She shares her projects and designs on her blog, FB page and very successful YouTube channel.
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