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So you've decided that you want to make your paper look like parchment. Maybe you want to spruce up a school project, or maybe you just want to make parchment for fun. Whatever the reason, this article can help you easily create the perfect parchment.
Steps
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Brew a cup of strong coffee, almost black, depending on how dark you want your paper to be. -
Take a piece of paper and crumple it.Advertisement -
Gently unfold it. -
Dip a cotton ball in the cup of warm coffee and evenly distribute it throughout the paper. -
Let it dry using a hair drier or fan. -
Light a candle and gently burn the sides, careful not to catch fire, as it may eat up a big part of the paper. Make sure you do this far away from flammable objects. -
Put the paper in a pan and turn to medium heat, use a spoon, or chopstick and gently press down on the paper for 30 seconds, this makes the paper have small brown spots. -
Now you've got your parchment paper like they used in the early 1400's. Use a fountain pen to write with to make the parchment look old. You can also use it to make a birthday party invitation look fancy. Tie with a leather string or old brown string to make it really resemble a scroll-like letter.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I print successfully on this paper?Community AnswerFor best results, print your document or image first, and then follow these instructions.
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QuestionWhat do I do if I don't have a candle?Community AnswerUse a long lighter or a match - but always do it over a metal sink, or outside with water nearby.
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QuestionWhat should I do if it doesn't yellow with the tea method?Community AnswerPut in the tea longer, maybe 10 minutes. Or, you could mix some yellow paint with water (1:3 ratio) and paint it on the paper.
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Tips
- A quicker method to achieving this result is to use a wet tea bag and sponge it onto the paper. If you squeeze the tea bag, water will come out with a deep coloring from the tea leaves.Thanks
- Try not to let it catch on fire as it will eat up a big part of your paper.Thanks
- You can use tea or orange juice for a lighter effect.Thanks
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Warnings
- You may want to do this in the sink as it may catch on fire.Thanks
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About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 142,610 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Really easy to follow directions and the pictures are a good guide. For what I'm going to do, I guess I mght avoid the burning the sides part and the pan as well." ..." more
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"Really easy to follow directions and the pictures are a good guide. For what I'm going to do, I guess I mght avoid the burning the sides part and the pan as well."
..."
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"Thanks! My history project got extra credit!"
"My history project looked super impressive."
"Gave me some nice and useful tips!"
"Very fun craft! We made a map."
