In scrapbooking, the technique of aging paper is called “distressing.” Distressing is the artificial aging and tinting of paper. Let's look at examples of how you can age paper at home.

To get the effect of old paper, you can use sandpaper, ink, stamp pads, tea, coffee and even milk!
Paper distressing includes several concepts: aging of the edges and the entire surface of the paper.

Aging of the entire paper surface

Aging the entire surface of the paper is tinting the paper.
To tint a white office sheet of paper, you need to soak it in brewed coffee or tea.

Brew coffee and black tea

The longer you keep it in tea leaves or coffee, the darker the paper turns out. Coffee and tea also have differences: coffee gives a richer shade, so it’s better not to keep paper in coffee for a long time!

The use of tea and coffee are the two most popular methods of paper distressing.

A rarely used method is using milk and an iron.
To do this, you need to moisten a sheet of paper in milk, let it dry slightly and iron it. Some craftsmen claim that in this way you can even get the “burnt edge” effect. But my experiment showed that this is the most ineffective of the methods. The result is almost invisible, and enough time is spent.

Here is the result of aging with coffee, tea and milk.

You can also use ink to tint paper, but this method is suitable for those who have it on hand.

Aging of paper edges

There are several techniques for distressing edges: using sandpaper, an ink pad, scissors and a ragged edge ruler.

Using sandpaper you can get a “scuffed” effect.

Stamp pad Brown- an excellent option for creating an “antique” look.

Using a regular ruler and scissors, you can create the effect of “loosening” the edge of the paper.

Using a special ruler, you can create a “torn edge” effect. Although you can create the same effect manually, you just need to be more careful in your execution.

The burnt edge is the most dangerous technique to perform, but it gives a unique result.

And the most The best way aging paper is about letting time do its job! Therefore, do not be overzealous in aging paper artificially; after years, your “old” paper will become older naturally and may completely turn into trash.
Everything needs moderation!

Aged paper is popular among hobbyists various types handicrafts: scrapbooking, decoupage, as well as for those who like to create original things. A wedding invitation in a vintage style on aged paper will match the overall mood of the celebration. Greeting card, created with your own hands, it is better to make it on aged paper. Use fonts in XIX style centuries, thanks to him the letters are obtained with curls, as if written with pen and ink. Place poems of your own composition on the card, praising the beauty of the one to whom it will be addressed. And this will make a much greater impression on a girl than a huge bouquet of flowers or Teddy bear on half the sofa.

In what style direction is aged paper used?

Paper is different from paper, and this also applies to aged paper. Depending on the style in which the craft will be made, the method of aging the paper is selected. Today the most popular and used styles are the following:

1. Vintage style. It consists of giving things a false antiquity. The style is characterized by heavy tones of beige and brown. color range. It should appear that the paper is under the influence sunlight and with time it darkened, abrasions appeared on it, the edges were frayed and in some places they were burned (it is assumed that a lit candle fell on the paper). The optimal method of “aging” paper is distressing, for which strong brewed coffee, ink, sandpaper, and a stamp pad are used.
2. Heritage (heritage). In fact, this is an analogue of the vintage style, only used for the design of family albums and portrait and thematic photographs. And it’s not the paper that ages, but the photographs themselves. For example, when the younger generation, surprisingly similar to their great-grandmother, is placed in a photo next to their ancestor. For less contrast, the photo is made older using the heritage method.
3. Shabby Chic style (scuffed). It is characterized by pastel shades (pale pink, blue, pale green, beige), wrinkled paper, the effect of cracks, application of primer to the paper, and curled edges.

What techniques exist to give an antique effect to paper?

There are special techniques that can recreate this or that effect.

1. Craquelure is the effect of creating a crack in a varnished or primed coating. They recreate the illusion of cracks in paintings. In ancient times, craquelures (cracks) appeared in paintings due to violations of technology. For example, due to insufficient primer, the underlying layers of paint absorbed moisture from subsequent new layers, causing them to quickly dry out and crack. There are special craquelure paints and varnishes that, when applied to paper, give the effect of cracks.
2. Distressing is the artificial aging of paper using organic products such as coffee, tea or milk. Using a ruler and scissors, the structure of the edges of the paper is loosened so that they look shabby from time to time. You can find special distress ink in office supply stores. After uniform application to a sheet of paper and complete drying, traces of uneven drying, abrasions and fading remain.
3. Embossing or stamping on paper. It is obtained using stencils or stamps. Food foil, glitter powder, etc. are also suitable. Using the embossing method, raised initial words are created, which are outlined in golden or silver paint. Against the background of aged paper, all this looks very impressive and unusual.
4. Journaling. This method helps to recreate text typed on an antique pre-war typewriter. Journaling is used to describe events depicted in photographs. It looks much more appropriate than a regular handwritten note.

What materials are used to age paper?

Regular black tea
Take a sheet of A4 white office paper. Brew 5 to 10 tablespoons of regular black tea without flavorings in a mug (the older the final result should look, the more spoons of tea you add).

After 10 minutes, strain the tea leaves through a strainer into a bowl. Keep the leaf in the tea leaves for 5 minutes. Take out the sheet, place it on the table and dry it with a hairdryer.

When the moisture has evaporated, run an iron over the sheet through a piece of cotton fabric. Then place a few drops on top in a chaotic manner. To create a “smoky effect,” hold the finished sheet over a hot burner.

Natural ground coffee:

• remember the paper well with your hands
• Brew a glass of boiling water with 5 tablespoons of ground coffee
• pour the tea leaves into a tray or bowl
• hold the sheet there for 5 minutes
• take it out and dry it with an iron or hairdryer

Milk
Pour half a glass of milk with the highest fat content. Sand the edges of an A4 sheet using sandpaper and nail scissors. Using a brush, apply milk all over the leaf. Take a hot iron and quickly “stamp” the surface of the paper with it.

It is not difficult to age paper. However, don't overdo it because the sheets will fade on their own over time. Excessive aging can lead to the fact that the family album, although very stylish and colorful, will have to be moved to a modern, but more reliable one.

Video: how to quickly age paper

Today we will talk about methods of “aging” paper and documents. Why at all? to make old, yellowed pages out of new, snow-white paper? Here's why: antiquity has been and will always be in fashion. And, of course, the old, vintage style is in fashion now.

“Aged” paper will fit perfectly into an antique-style interior. One only has to make and “age” in this way several letters, genealogies, etc. and hang them in suitable frames. They will look very realistic and appropriate. What if you do the same with several books and add them to the interior?

Products made using “aged” paper look very stylish. You can often find paper that looks pretty tattered in scrap projects. Aged paper is also widely used in decoupage, scrapbooking and other types of arts and crafts.

Aged paper is used for creative purposes, for example, for a vintage gift. Agree, this is such a gift Christmas mulled wine set it will look much “richer” with the recipe written handwritten font, printed on aged paper with yellowed, jagged edges.

You can age documents, newspapers or books in the same way. On aged paper you can write wishes, invitations, recipes, print out maps leading to ancient treasures, etc. These works look amazing. How to age paper at home ?

Methods for “aging” paper

There are several ways to obtain aged paper.

1. Wait until the paper comes to this state naturally (provided that you are not in a hurry and you have several dozen free years at your disposal).
2. Buy antique or “aged” sheets (if you have extra money and a specialized store nearby).
3. “Aging” paper at home. This is the method that will be discussed in today’s article.

But to give an antique (“aged”) look to a letter, postcard, invitation, recipe, etc. not so difficult at home, without resorting to the use of any special complex tools. You can achieve this “antiqueness” in several ways.

With coffee

We will need:

• three teaspoons of instant coffee (you can take the cheapest one);
• the paper itself (office paper, not too thick cardboard or whatman paper);
• candle;
• sponge;
• scissors;
• hot water;
• wide capacity.

Nothing supernatural, all this can be found in any home.

Prepare the paper that needs to be “aged” for work. An emblem, drawing or text must be applied to it with a LASER printer in advance, since it is difficult to print text on already aged paper (the paint does not adhere well). It is better to make printouts with a reserve, in case we spoil one or two.

Dilute coffee in 250 ml. hot water and pour the resulting solution into a wide container. Cool it, dip a piece of paper for a few minutes (depending on the quality of paper used) and dry it.

After the sheet has dried, drop a few drops of the same solution onto it; for a more vivid effect, you can apply a few granules of instant coffee to the sheet and blot them with a damp cloth. Dry the sheet again.

Blot the paper with the coffee solution again. Then we burn the edges using an electric stove or a candle. We work with the candle carefully, trying not to burn the edges, but only lightly scorch them.

When the paper is dry and only slightly damp, fold it in half, and then in half again. We carefully pass the folds of the paper folded in four between the cutting blades of the scissors; you can also use pumice. If the paper does tear a little, don’t worry, this will only add “age” to our product.

An already dry sheet can be scratched with a needle, and then these places can be rubbed with the edge of burnt paper (the scratches will appear and be more clearly visible).

This is what we got. Who can say that just recently this was a printout on pure white, perfectly flat office paper?

With tea

We will need:

• three to four tea bags;
• boiling water;
• sponge;
• the paper itself.

Brew tea bags in half a liter of boiling water and leave to brew.

We take out the cooled tea bags and use them to apply tea onto the paper in any way you like, or, as in the case of coffee, place the sheet with the text in a wide bowl of tea.

You can rub the leaf with a tea bag to enhance the scuff effect. Once the paper is completely saturated, simply remove excess liquid with a sponge or paper towel and send the sheet to dry in the oven (several minutes at 200 °C).

Using potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate can be bought at any pharmacy, and it is inexpensive. In addition, you can look for this drug at home; the gardener probably has it or in the home medicine cabinet.

We will need:

• potassium permanganate;
• wide dishes;
• hot water.

Simply dilute a small amount of crystals in ½ cup of cold water and stir thoroughly until the potassium permanganate crystals are completely dissolved.

Dilute this solution with hot water and pour it into a saucepan.

We dip the paper into a hot solution, it instantly acquires brown tint. “Aging” of paper in this way occurs very quickly. You can immediately take out the painted paper and send it to dry (just spread the paper on a flat absorbent surface - cardboard, newspaper, etc.). Use special tweezers or gloves to avoid staining the skin of your hands.

Why do people make old and yellowed pages out of new and snow-white paper? Antiquity has always been in fashion and is still relevant today. This is why the old vintage style is so widely popular now. The yellowed one will look harmonious in an interior made in an old style.

In contact with

You can do several ancient charters or genealogies, place them in frames and hang them on the walls. These will look very realistic and appropriate in such an interior. What if such an interior was supplemented with several old books?

Let's take a closer look at how to age paper at home.

How to make the effect of old paper: several simple methods

In order to age paper artificially, you can use the following methods:

• The easiest and longest way is to wait until the paper itself takes on the condition naturally. However, this may take a dozen years.
• Purchase ready-made aged sheets in a special store.
• Aging the sheets yourself at home. This is exactly what is worth talking about in more detail.

This “antique” look can be given not only to leaves, but also to a letter, postcard, recipe and much more. In this case, you will have to resort to using some simple methods.

How to age paper with coffee?

In order to achieve the effect aging sheet, you will need the following:

All these components can be found in any home.

Step-by-step instruction:

Our aged sheet is ready!

How to age paper using tea?

To do this you will need the following ingredients and tools:

• Several tea bags.
• Boiling water.
• Sheets of paper.
• Sponge.
• Paper container.

Step-by-step instruction:

How to create an antique effect using potassium permanganate?

To do this you will need the following ingredients and auxiliary tools:

• Hot water.
• Potassium permanganate.
• Wide capacity.

Step-by-step instruction:

How to age paper using the sun?

Using this method, the leaf will have to be left for several days in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can give the leaf a rather “venerable” age. The ink that will be applied to the sheet will fade naturally in the sun. The downside is that there is not always enough sun. Therefore, in this case, you will have to use the above-described aging methods.

How to age the edges?

If it seems to you that the resulting exhibit looks somehow unfinished because of its smooth edges, then you can rub them with sandpaper or a simple sponge. The edges can also be scorched with fire. In this case, the leaf should be wet. In some places it can be slightly torn. The main thing here is not to overdo it. The edges should look worn, but still neat.

To enhance the aging effect, you can crumple the sheet before painting and then straighten it out. You can also add rice and pieces of grass to the solution, which can give the pattern an uneven and believable pattern.