Maybe you're designing party invitations and you want them to look aged, like they were torn from an old book. Maybe you're trying to create an old-looking birth certificate or marriage license for a birthday or anniversary gift. Maybe you're making your own shabby-chic journal. Whatever your reasons, you can make new paper look old by using one or a combination of methods.
Instructions
Stain Paper With Tea
1. Stain paper to make it look older by boiling 4 or 5 tablespoons of black tea and pouring it into a shallow wide container so that there is at least 1/2 inch of liquid in which to set the paper.
2. Lay paper on the tea and push it down to submerge it. After 10 minutes, or as long as it takes to stain the paper as dark as you wish, carefully remove the paper and lay it on a flat surface in an oven that has been preheated to 100 degrees.
3. Let it dry in the oven for about a minute or let it air dry. Drying it in the oven makes the paper turn even darker.
4. Continue the staining process by wetting an unused teabag with hot water and wiping it around the edges of the paper. Allow the paper to air dry.
Stain Paper With Coffee Grounds or Vinegar
5. Spread wet coffee grounds on your piece of paper. Allow them to sit on the paper for a few minutes if desired.
6. Wipe balsamic vinegar on your piece of paper in addition to or in place of the coffee grounds. Try using a paint brush to apply it.
7. Remove the grounds from the paper and allow the paper to air dry.
8. Place weights on the paper's corners to help the paper dry flat.
