How to Make Vintage Looking Altered Art Paper

Vintage paper can be made with a variety of liquid substances.

Vintage art paper can be used for a variety of art projects, from creating your own vintage books to simulating old documents. Although it may seem difficult and time-consuming, making vintage art paper is an easy project for people of all ages. It requires little more than dipping some paper into a dark substance and drying it in your oven. Once you have the basics mastered, you can experiment with different techniques and finishes that will deliver the exact look you want for your paper crafts.

Things You'll Need

• Heavyweight resume paper
• Sandpaper, 1,200-grit
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• Baking pan
• Dark-brown decorating chalk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You may need to adjust the oven temperature depending on the type of oven you have in your home.

2. Sand the resume paper with 1,200-grit sandpaper. The Altered Book website suggests that you sand left to right or up and down rather than in a circle. Be careful not to create holes in the paper by sanding too hard or for too long.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of soy sauce into the baking pan. Use more or less sauce depending on the size of your pan. Ensure that the sauce completely covers the bottom of the pan.

4. Add water to the soy sauce to lighten it. Pour the water slowly so that you are sure not to add too much water at once. If you accidentally add too much water, pour more soy sauce to darken the mixture.

5. Place the resume paper into the soy sauce and water mixture and soak it for two minutes. Soaking longer may weaken the paper and make it unusable for your project. Soaking for less time may not give your paper enough time to retain the color.

6. Pour out all of the soy sauce mixture that has not been soaked up by the paper. Even a little extra liquid can cause your paper to become blotchy and lose the vintage effect.

7. Bake the paper in the preheated oven for five minutes. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven to prevent burning the paper. Adjust the baking position or baking time depending on the type of oven you have in your home.

8. Tear the edges of the resume paper. Avoid tearing too far into the center of the paper if you plan to write on it.

9. Dust the torn edges of the paper with dark-brown decorating chalk. Ensure that you are only dusting the edges so that you do not compromise the look of the stain that you have already made on the resume paper. Brush or shake any extra chalk from the edges of the paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Use coffee or tea if you do not have soy sauce.

• Do not leave paper unattended in the oven.

References

• Hints and Things: Tips
• Altered-Book.com: How to Make Paper Look Old