Marble Paper Tutorial

One of my daughter’s favorite activities is to create faux marble paper. The process for making it is fun and messy — just what kids and the kid in us love! Here are the supplies you need:

• Stampin’ Up! Classic Ink Refills – in three coordinating or harmonious colors. You can use the Color Coach (item # 120148 or 120146) to give you some great color combination ideas.
• Glossy White Card stock (item# 102599) or Whisper White card stock (item # 100730)
• Shaving cream — an inexpensive one from the dollar store is fine. I like the one that has a pleasing scent so I usually get one of the girlie scented ones. 🙂
• Cookie sheet — I got one from the dollar store that I use just for this purpose.
• Plastic table cloth or other table cover that you don’t mind getting dirty (you can probably find a plastic table cover at the dollar store).
• Spatula, plastic knives, plastic forks, paper towels. 

Prepare your workspace by covering/protecting your table/workspace.

Gather all your materials and place them on your table/workspace.

Fill the cookie sheet with shaving cream.

Fill ‘er up!

Spread out the shaving into a smooth, even layer, using the spatula or plastic knife like you’re frosting a cake.

Strategically squeeze drops of the ink refills across the smoothed out shaving cream.  Use one drop of each color in three or four places.

Smoothed shaving cream with ink drops.

Next, use the tines of the fork (pointing down or at a slight angle like you’re going to scoop something from your plate) to swirl the color around the cookie sheet. Use a light touch as you swirl the color through the shaving cream. Your swirled ink and shaving cream should look something like this:

Messy fun!

Place the glossy side of the card stock face down on the shaving cream. Apply light pressure with your hand to press the paper into the shaving cream. Run your hand across the back of the card stock to make sure that color has transferred to the entire sheet.

Carefully pull up the sheet of card stock and place the sheet with shaving cream side up on a paper towel.  This is what it looks like:

The masterpiece in hiding!

Let it sit for a minute or two and then use a plastic knife (smooth side of the knife) to scrape the shaving cream off.  Put the shaving cream back into the cookie sheet as you scrape it off.  Wipe the card stock with some paper towel and set aside to dry.  This is my first sheet of marbled paper.

Viola! The masterpiece is done!

You can smooth the shaving cream again and repeat the process a couple more times.  You may want to sparingly squeeze a couple more drops of ink on the shaving cream.  The more you swirl the colors, though, the more they get mixed and a little muddy, so proceed carefully and lightly on the swirling.

Now you use your marbled paper for lots of different projects:

• Scan your marbled paper and use it for background paper in your My Digital Studio projects.
• Use it as background paper in your traditional hand-crafted creations.
• Die cut shapes or 3D items with your Big Shot.

I like to make a quite few sheets during a session that I can use for whatever my creative heart desires!

Have fun!
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Estella Banks
Creativity Coach
Inspiring, Nurturing, Sharing Creativity