If you're looking to spruce up an art project or give your poetry a more dramatic look than just plain printing paper, you may need to age the paper. While there are many ways on the internet to make paper look old, the best way to do this is by squeezing and wetting it. If this doesn't work because it doesn't look old enough, you can try coloring and baking methods, using fire and heat, or burying the paper in the ground to give it an old, weathered look.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Squeezing and Wetting the Paper
Step 1. Crumple the paper
Hold the paper in your hands and squeeze it into a ball. The tighter the ball, the more creases in the paper.
Step 2. Open the paper ball, then spray it with water, tea or coffee
Once the paper ball is opened, put the liquid of your choice into a spray bottle. Next, spray the paper until it's damp until it reaches the color and shape you want.
Remember, the liquid used will produce a different look on the paper. Water doesn't change the color of the paper, but it allows you to color it further. Tea produces a light brown color, while coffee will darken the paper
Step 3. Do various forms of damage to the paper
When it is wet, the paper becomes easier to shape. Try ripping off the edges, making small rips with your fingernail, or making small creases. This damage is to mimic the wear and tear of paper over time. The older you want the paper to look, the more damage it will have to do.
If you want to make creases with a darker, deeper color, re-crumple the paper that is still wet. Be careful not to tear the paper
Step 4. Spread the paper over to dry it
Place the paper on a flat surface, such as a table. A few hours later, the paper will dry.
Alternatively, you can speed up the process using a hairdryer
Method 2 of 4: Coloring and Baking Paper
Step 1. Select and make a soaking solution
To age the paper, you can use coffee for a darker color, or tea if you want a lighter color. You can also determine the color of the paper while you are making the solution.
- If using coffee, you can make the paper darker or lighter by increasing or decreasing the amount of coffee grounds.
- If using tea, the result of staining on the paper will be affected by the length of time the paper soaks. Soaking for a longer time will result in a darker paper color. The color of the paper will be lighter if you soak it for a short time.
- Let the solution cool before you move on to the next step.
Step 2. Place the paper on a baking sheet or cake pan
Make sure the paper fits easily into the pan, without bending the edges.
Step 3. Preheat the oven to 90 C
By preheating it, the oven will be ready to go to the desired temperature when the paper is ready to bake.
Step 4. Pour the solution into the pan
Start pouring the solution in the corner of the pan, not directly onto the paper. Just pour in just enough liquid to cover the paper with a thin layer of solution. It doesn't matter if the solution pools under the paper. The paper will absorb the liquid.
Step 5. Spread the coffee/tea using a sponge brush
You can be creative based on the pattern you designed. You can spread the solution evenly across the paper for a uniform appearance. If you want a different result, spread the solution evenly to produce a lighter, clearer pattern.
If you want a light, grainy pattern, sprinkle some coffee grounds on the paper, and let it sit for a few minutes
Step 6. Wipe off excess liquid with a tissue
Make sure there are no puddles of liquid left on the paper or baking sheet. You don't need to wipe the paper completely dry, but simply remove any liquid that isn't absorbed by the paper.
Step 7. Make modifications to the paper
Before placing the parchment-filled baking sheet in the oven, add a few touches to make the paper look older when it's still wet and easy to change. Tear off the small edges with your fingernail. You can also use your fingernail to make small holes in the paper. You can knead these small tears and transfer them to another part of the paper for a wavy, parchment-like appearance. You can also press the paper with an object (such as a fork) to give the paper a crushed appearance.
Step 8. Put the baking sheet in the oven for 4-7 minutes
If possible, place the pan on the middle oven rack. Keep an eye on the paper being baked. The process is complete when the edges of the paper begin to curl. The time it takes to complete this process depends on the oven used.
Step 9. Remove the paper from the oven and let it cool
Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven. Let the paper cool for about 10-15 minutes before you write anything on it.
Method 3 of 4: Using Fire and Heat
Step 1. Bring the paper over the sink
This is very important in case the paper catches fire so you can just drop it in the sink and run the water over it. In this method, you must write on the paper after the aging process is complete, so that some of the writing is not lost due to fire.
Step 2. Use a candle or a lighter
These two sources are equally effective and do not give different results. Use whatever is available at this point. Do not use a butane gas lighter as the flame is too strong for this project.
Step 3. Run the fire along the edges of the paper
Place the edge of the paper with a distance of 1-3 cm above the fire. Move the flame at the edge of the paper back and forth along the perimeter of the paper. With this action, the paper will look dark because it is very old and damaged by time and circumstances. Do not place a dot of paper on the fire for too long.
- Do not heat a single dot of paper over a fire for a long time. This can burn the entire paper.
- As you move the flame to the edge of the paper, don't place it too close to your hands so you don't scald your hands.
Step 4. Make small spots on the paper using fire
If you want to do more dramatic damage to the paper, use fire to make a few small holes in the paper. Again, place the paper about 3 cm from the heat, but this time let it stay there longer. Watch the paper until spots appear that begin to turn brown and black. When it reaches the desired color, remove the paper from the heat.
- If you want to punch holes in the paper with fire, leave the paper on the fire longer. The fire will eventually burn the paper and make a small hole. Immediately blow the fire to extinguish it.
- If the paper burns quickly and you don't have time to blow it out, drop the paper in the sink and run the water over it.
Method 4 of 4: Burying the Paper in the Ground
Step 1. Make a hole in the yard
Make a hole large enough to hold a tennis ball. This size will not break your page.
Step 2. Squeeze the paper into a ball, then insert it into the hole
Sprinkle a little water (about a quarter cup) on the paper ball. You can rub the soil on the paper before doing this. Mud will stain and color the paper.
Step 3. Fill the hole with soil
Make sure the paper is completely covered. Soil will damage the paper and cause it to wear out over time. So make sure the holes fit into the paper balls.
Step 4. Wait for 3-14 days before you pick up the paper
The length of this wait depends on how old-fashioned you want the paper to look.
Tips
- For better results, spray the paper with clear varnish.
- The paper will look more antique and smoother if you burn it while the paper is still damp from the dye solution.
- If using the fire method, do the exercise on unused paper before you apply it to good paper.
- Ketchup is a great coloring agent, although it will turn out to be a darker color than you might expect. So, you can dilute it with water. Soy sauce is very suitable for use in the roasting method.
- Do not use too much liquid because it can tear the paper.
- Do not use light colored pens or pencils because the results will not be visible. It's a good idea to use a black or blue pen to keep the color from fading.
- To darken the creases in the paper, fold the paper before you soak or spray it.
- Combine some of the methods above. For example, you can age paper by coloring, baking, and burying it in the ground for a few days.
- If you are aging the paper using coffee, add a few glasses of red wine to the coffee. Because the substances are different, coffee will color the paper in a larger space, while wine will fill in the "little wrinkles." This will result in very old looking paper.
Warning
- If you use the soaking method, avoid soaking several sheets of paper at the same time as the paper will stick together. It's a good idea to soak the papers one at a time in the same solution.
- Do not soak the paper for too long because it can damage it.
- When baking paper, don't use a bread rack or something that doesn't have a solid bottom without holes. This can cause a light color to the paper where it is attached to the cake rack.
- If the paper is already written on, do not immerse it in liquid if you are using a pen (pen that can be filled with ink) because the ink may smudge and become illegible. Use a regular pen or pencil.
- Do not place the paper too close to the fire because it can burn it.
- If you are under 18, ask an adult for help if you want to use a fire.
