How to Age Paper for Journals or Scrapbooking | DIY Vintage Stationery
Tea Staining
One of the simplest and well known ways to age paper is tea staining. As the name implies, you are simply submerging the paper in tea and letting it soak until the paper is tinted by the tea. Then all you have to do is remove the paper from the tea and let it dry completely before using. This method is especially good when you are using said paper for writing on. Imagine writing a letter with this. Creating beautiful calligraphy with a fountain pen on its surface. Very classy and very romantic!
Materials:
4 Cups of Black Tea
Large Baking Dish
Drawing Paper (at least 70 lb.)
Paper Towels
Method:
Brew your tea how you normally would. You can use any tea you want, but I find that black tea works the best as it gives the paper a better, deeper tint. Let the tea cool completely before using. Transfer the tea to the baking dish.
Submerge each sheet of paper into the tea. Let it soak for a couple of minutes on each side. The longer you soak the paper the darker the tint will be. I usually soak the paper for 3-5 minutes.
Remove the paper and gently shake out the excess tea. Place each sheet of paper on a flat surface lined with paper towels. Let dry.
Scorching
If you are going for a darker vintage look, scorching paper can be a very creative way to decorate your journal. Paper aged this way always gives a melancholic and nostalgic mood to your project. With this method specifically, you also have to be very careful, of course. You are after all using fire on something very flammable! Use a work area that is solid and not flammable and always keep the flame from coming in contact with any other objects around you.
Materials:
Candle
Paper
Method:
Light the candle and place on a flat, sturdy surface. Very carefully hover the paper over the flame without touching it. Doing this will only stain the paper with a smoke effect.
For more, carefully touch the corners or sides of the paper to the flame. Blow out the flame on the paper before the paper is completely consumed. Pat down the paper after you are finished.
Crumpling
This method is the easiest and I actually learned this at school while working on a project. We were supposed to be making the paper look old and cloth-like so that we could then draw a map on it. Image my surprise when the map turned out looking very real and very old.~
Materials:
Paper
Method:
Simply crumple a piece of paper in your hands several times. Unfurling it, then crumpling it again until it becomes wrinkled and softer. You can also rub the paper on itself so that it will become softer still and look more like cloth.