Marbelizing Paper

There is definitely an art to marbelizing paper.  Please keep in mind that I did this project with a four year old so the results weren't exactly as I anticipated.   And although this has nothing to do with anything vintage I chose to add it to this blog because it's a really fun DIY project.  It's messy, so it really should be an outdoor project. 

 

Here's what you need:

Shaving cream

Acrylic paint (watered down slightly)

Paper

Toothpicks

 

 

Our first step was to put shaving cream in a large container that you don't mind getting a little dirty.  A shallower container would be ideal, but this is what I had, so that's what I used for our project.  Amirah liked the smell of the shaving cream. 

 

I have a hard time remembering to record each step of a tutorial.  You should take your watered down paint and then just add it in drops. 

 

Then use toothpicks to make a marbelized look like below. 

 

The next step is to take your paper and place it on the shaving cream. 

We dipped our paper three different times.  You can see the three sections below.

You just want the paint to stay on the paper, and not the shaving cream, so take something with a straight edge (like a ruler or spatula) to scrape off the shaving cream.  Be careful!  The paper is slightly wet, so it's easy to rip. 

Amirah took a lot of these pictures for me, and I particularly like this one with her cute little toes.

After allowing it to dry you have beautiful paper to use for making cards, wrapping presents, or even framing!

Let's Try Again!

After my not-so-successful craft sale in May, I've collected my gumption and am trying again.  I've been having so much fun this summer puttering around.  Here's what I've been working on lately...

 

I saw this table sitting outside my neighbor's house for several days.  It was a little scratched, and a little outdated, but I spotted a treasure.  I rather sheepishly asked her if it was outside sitting forlornly because it was free, and if so... could I have it?  She gave the go-ahead, and so I picked this little gem and started dreaming about what she could be.

 

 

I took all 18 of the old screws out with a screw-driver since I still don't know how to use power tools.  I really need to learn that.  Once the pieces were taken apart it was time to sand them down a bit.  I tried using my Dad's sander, but it was having a mind of it's own that day so I ended up sanding most of it by hand.  Did I mention I'm not so good with power tools?

Then it was time to prime it, and let it dry.  

At the last minute I decided to paint the legs gold for a little drama.  I had to make a special trip to Michael's for some gold spray paint.  There I found not only gold paint, but a cranky cashier as well (but that's a story for another time.)

 



I love nothing more than a beautiful polka-dot.  The only tools I needed were acrylic paint, a stencil brush, and a stencil.  

 

This is what it looked like after one round. 

Here's the finished project.  I love how the gold glass in the center pays homage to the gold legs as well as the polka dots.  I love how it all came together. 

 





Isn't this glass beautiful?



 

This is probably one of the simplest projects I've done in a while, and it's probably my favorite, too.  I found this bud vase two days ago at Michael's, only it was clear then.  I dyed it using Mod-Podge and food coloring.  You can read more about that process here.  The frame was a thrift-store find that once held a cross-stitch picture of a panda eating bamboo :)

 



Side view

 

I think this particular piece is going to evolve into something else, but I'm not quite sure yet how that is going to happen.  Right now it is pieces of tissue paper glued to canvas and painted gold with a black stencil of a chandelier.  (Just in case you couldn't see that for yourself.)

 



I've had two of these shutters in my outside storage shed for years.  I finally decided to paint one of them.   It was really hard to paint on.  It says "This Way Up".  I think I may paint over it and try something else.  We'll see.

As you can see... there's a lot happening here.  Some things I love.  Some things are a work-in-progress.  I love the creative process.  It's so fulfilling!