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How to Age Paper

Posted on October 4th, 2009 by Elaine
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A lot of people find aged paper stylish and lovely, especially when used for projects. The yellow-brown color, slight wrinkling and the tears and burn marks around the edges add a classy look to any simple scrapbook, essay or even invitation. Instead of waiting for paper to turn antique, why don’t you just age it yourself? Here’s what to do.

Aging Paper With Coffee

What You’ll Need:

  • Paper
  • Instant coffee
  • Baking sheet
  • Oven
  • Hot water
  • Sponge brush
  • Paper towels

Procedure:

  1. Write or print out whatever text you want on the paper. As much as possible, use a good quality laser paper, so it won’t become damaged easily. If you want a creased effect, crumple the paper then smooth it out again.
  2. Put two tablespoons of instant coffee into half a cup of boiling water. Stir it in completely, then let cool for a minute.
  3. Get a large baking sheet, then put the paper you’re aging inside.
  4. Pour the coffee solution over the paper, using as much as you think is necessary.
  5. Spread the solution all over the paper using the sponge brush. If you want a mottled look, sprinkle the coffee grains all over the paper, then wait for a few minutes so they will dissolve.
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Dab the excess coffee liquid from the paper using the paper towels.
  7. Put the baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes, or until the paper is dry and the edges are curling up a bit.
  8. If you don’t want to use the oven, just place the paper between two clean paper towels. Put a heavy object, such as a book, on top, so it won’t warp. Let this dry overnight.

Aging Paper With Tea

What You’ll Need:

  • Paper
  • Three black tea bags
  • Warm water
  • Sponge or paper towel

Procedure:

  1. Soak your teabags into two cups of warm water, and let stand for an hour.
  2. Get the first tea bag, then blot it all over the paper you’re going to treat, saturating it completely.
  3. Get the other teabag, repeating the same procedure. This time, rub the bag over the paper’s surface lightly. It will break open, but don’t worry. If small flecks of tea are left in the paper, don’t mind them, as they give a better aged look. By rubbing it, you give the paper’s surface a more worn out look.
  4. Blot the excess water from the paper using a sponge or paper towels.
  5. Put the paper in between paper towels, then put them under something heavy over night.

Other Methods

  • You can tear off the paper at random areas. Make sure you don’t damage it too much, though.
  • Touch it up with a candle to make it even older and I always used coffee instead of tea.
  • For a dark red look, substitute ketchup and a small amount of Worcestershire sauce when trying the coffee-oven method.
  • Touch up the paper with a candle. Drip some candle wax over it.
  • You can also burn the edges. Just make sure you don’t burn the paper completely.

Don’t wait for years so paper will age. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll soon have a bunch of aged paper to use for any project you like.

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