How to Do Parchment Effects
Creating your own parchment is a great craft project and a nice way to provide a personal touch to a paper gift or memento. From buried treasure maps to handwritten love poems, everything looks special on a piece of parchment. Use the parchment effect as part of a larger design such as a shadow box display or photo album. Making a regular piece of paper or card look like a piece of parchment means physically aging and distressing the paper.
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Instructions
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Scrunch up a piece of copy paper into a tight ball and then smooth it back out. This creates the creased look of old paper and provides a textured surface for staining techniques.
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Place the paper on a flat baking sheet to avoid making a mess on your countertop. Adding parchment effects to a couple pieces of paper at the same time can speed up the process. Fill the baking sheet with as much paper as will fit.
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Shake white vinegar onto the textured paper and smooth out with a clean rag. The amount of vinegar depends on the thickness of the paper; you want even saturation, but not so much that the paper tears. Lemon juice is a good alternative to vinegar.
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Make a cup of tea or coffee, let it go cold and then use a paintbrush to paint the paper with the drink. This effect can be used in conjunction with or instead of the vinegar soak in the previous step. Be sure to paint over the creases a number of times to create a darker web of color.
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Sprinkle coffee granules sparingly onto the paper while the surface is still wet. The coffee will stain and can be brushed away for a smeared effect or left to dry and then brushed off for a more speckled look. Soil can create a similar look, but a lighter touch is necessary.
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Place the baking sheet into a warm oven for a few minutes to dry out the paper. Set your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid scorching. Never leave the paper unattended and remove it as soon as the edges start to curl.
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Complete the parchment look by burning the edges of the paper with a safety lighter. Take care to blow out any flames immediately.
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Tips & Warnings
Brown paper bags offer the same absorbency as copy paper, but have a darker finish.
The oven and safety lighter should only be used by an adult.
References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
