Who among us has not dreamed of holding an old book or map in our hands, or receiving a letter from the past? It would seem that this is quite problematic, because antique books are expensive, and letters are not kept for so long.

But what if you try to make a book or piece of paper, a letter, a map or a postcard visually older yourself? It's so simple!

Let's talk to you about how to age paper with and without text, and in what cases you might need this skill.

Decor using paper

First of all, let's consider this question: why do we need aged paper at all and what can and should it be used for?

First of all, it is needed for the design of various crafts: postcards, photo albums, invitation leaflets. It can also be used to create original albums, writing sheets, thus showing your originality.

Agree, an “antique” book, a vintage postcard or just a sheet of parchment with a drawing or map will delight any person, no matter how old he is and no matter what his hobby is. Let's talk about how to make aged paper at home without resorting to outside help and without spending a lot of money on it.

Methods

There are many ways in which you can “add age” to paper. The most famous of them is its aging with the help of tea and coffee, as well as open fire or the heat of electrical appliances, sunlight. You can also “spoil” paper with milk, lemon juice and potassium permanganate.

For those who are interested in how to age paper with text, we note that the latter should only be printed with a laser printer. If the text was printed using an inkjet printer, it will simply flow under the influence of water. In order to age paper with such text, only methods of heat treatment of paper are suitable.

We will look at each of these methods so that you can independently choose the one that is more convenient for you. If you want, you can try changing the paper using each of them and then compare the results.

Treating paper with tea

First, let's talk about how to change a sheet of paper using various liquids. Let's start with one of the most famous methods, that is, we will discuss how to age paper with tea. This is the simplest and most accessible method for everyone.

In order to age paper using tea, you will need strong brewed tea at the rate of 5-10 teaspoons of tea leaves per glass of water (if tea is in bags, then three bags of tea leaves will be enough). The tea should be brewed for 10 minutes, then it must be strained.

Having poured the finished tea into a small bath, soak the sheet of paper you need in it (you can crumple it first, so that the paper is better saturated with water, and also in order to give it an older and shabby look), let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then we take it out of the water and wait for the sheet to dry. Finally, iron it with an iron, leveling the surface of the sheet.

Let's resort to coffee

Now let's talk about how to age coffee paper. This method of aging is not much different from the previous one. The difference is in the brew itself. For a glass of water you need 5 teaspoons of natural ground coffee. Brewed coffee should be infused for 10 minutes, then strained. At the same time, sediment should not get into your bath in which you age the paper. IN otherwise There may be streaks and marks on the paper. In some cases, the sediment can be used to create scuff marks and brighter small spots on a piece of paper.

The time for which a sheet of paper should be immersed in the solution is no more than five minutes, otherwise the sheet will get wet and tear when trying to remove it. In addition, we do not recommend that you put several sheets of paper together in the tray, otherwise they will bunch up into one soggy piece of paper and tear.

The sheet of paper should also be dried on a flat surface, and after drying it is ironed using an iron.

If you don’t have natural coffee at home, you can replace it with instant coffee.

Using milk

Now let's talk about how to age paper using milk. To do this, you will need milk with a high percentage of fat content. It’s better if it’s completely homemade. You should also find a brush to apply it with.

We crumple the sheet of paper, then use a brush to thoroughly paint it with milk on both sides. After it is well soaked on both sides, lay it out on a flat surface. Leave it for a while to dry. Then iron the sheet using an iron. In this case, the temperature should be high enough, and dark brown spots should appear on the paper itself.

In addition, you can also dry a sheet of paper in a microwave oven or using a hair dryer. The main thing in this aging method is the effect of high temperature on the solution itself, with which the sheet of paper is impregnated.

Lemon juice

Let's say a few words about how to age paper using lemon juice. This is another quite interesting method and probably known to many. So, aging paper using lemon juice. If you were fond of detective stories as a child, then you probably know that many criminals and even detectives wrote their own secret notes using lemon juice. In this case, the inscription appeared only under the influence high temperatures.

To age paper using lemon juice, you will need the sheet of paper itself, lemon juice, and a hair dryer. A hair dryer can replace a microwave oven or a hot iron.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Then we apply it to a sheet of paper using a sponge, brush, or simply dipping it in a container with lemon juice. Then you should place the sheet on a flat surface and dry it with a hair dryer. As it dries and is exposed to heat, it will begin to darken.

Now you also know how to artificially age paper using lemon juice.

Alternatively, this method can be used for additional leaf decoration. So, you can make inscriptions on a sheet of paper using lemon juice, and then develop them. It's pretty original way decorate cards and albums.

Aging paper using potassium permanganate

If you have potassium permanganate (that is, just potassium permanganate) at home, then it will be quite easy for you to age any paper. To do this, you need to pour several granules of potassium permanganate into the container in which you are going to paint the sheet, then dilute it in cold water until completely dissolved. In this case, the solution should be a rich dark pink color. When working with the solution, be sure to wear gloves so as not to stain or burn your hands.

After this, dip the paper in water for five minutes. When it is sufficiently saturated with water, take it out of the container and lay it out to dry.

After drying, the paper acquires a pleasant brown tint. Now you also know how to age paper using potassium permanganate. As you can see, this is a rather interesting and simple method. In addition, with the help of potassium permanganate you can artificially age fabric items.

Aging paper using a candle

Now let's move on to thermal methods of aging paper. First of all, let's talk about how to change the age of paper using fire.

The simplest and most likely known to many method is to use fire to age the paper and give it the appearance of something that has survived a fire.

For this you need a candle. In this case, you will have to age the paper over a sink, so that in case of fire, you can quickly extinguish it and prevent a fire.

We place the candle in the candlestick and then place it in the sink. After this, light the candle. We take the sheet of paper you need in our hands and begin to carefully move it over the candles. In this case, there should be a distance of at least 10 cm between the paper and the fire. The paper should not be held in one place. So you can set it on fire.

Microwave oven as a means for aging paper

As you know, paper darkens when exposed to heat. Heat can be emitted either by fire or by a device powered by electricity - a hair dryer, stove, even an electric fireplace. But we’ll talk about something that is probably in every home - a microwave.

One of the most simple ways to age the paper - place it in a microwave oven for a while at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. In this case, the paper itself should be pre-moistened in water or a solution of tea (coffee).

Alternatively, you can place the paper in the refrigerator first and then in the microwave. This way you can also age the paper for several years. Now you know how to age paper in the microwave.

Aging with the sun

Well, those who want to add age to paper in the most natural and simple way possible, without resorting to fire or electrical appliances, or various tinctures, should use the help of the sun.

Hot summer days To age paper, you can use the simplest method - solar. To do this, you need to put a sheet of paper or even hang it so that sunlight falls on it all the time. In a few days it will be ready. But you should age the paper in advance in this way.

conclusions

There are many ways to age a sheet of paper. We have discussed only the most famous and used of them. All these methods work equally, although appearance paper may vary.

If you are in doubt which method to choose, experiment with each of them and compare the results. Remember that the appearance of aged paper largely depends on how strong the solution you treated it with, as well as how strong and long the thermal exposure process was.

How to age paper? This question often worries those who are interested in scrapbooking and lovers of original messages. The article will tell you how to do this at home.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

Have you already turned 18?

How to age paper? Highlights

There are many ways to create this effect using available materials. You can also do without them altogether, using the natural energy of the sun. At home, you can age a sheet of paper in just a few minutes or in a few hours, including the drying time of the craft. To do this you need to have:

• paper that is subject to aging;
• soaking tray;
• pigment;
• tweezers.

Depending on the expected effect, the pigment is selected. Even a child can make aged paper with his own hands. It is only important that he does not use lighters or candles to process the edges of the sheet. These tools are recommended for use by persons over 18 years of age.

To make aged paper, you must first wrinkle it with your hands. You can skip this stage and move on to the next one. In addition to the fact that it can be kneaded with your hands, it can be scratched with your nails, torn near the edges or bent in any direction. For greater flexibility, it is recommended to spray the surface with water from a spray bottle. When mechanical damage is done, it is necessary to move on to its aging.

The sheet can be used blank or already with a drawing or inscription applied. It is advisable to print the inscription on a printer rather than write it by hand. It is also recommended to sand the edges to creating an easy abrasions, or candles/lighters to create traces of a fire. If you leave the edges smooth, you won’t be able to fully convey the influence of time.

Artificially aged paper will become the basis for creating photo albums using the scrapbooking technique or for writing invitations.

All methods that require the use of water require time for the craft to dry. To complete the aging procedure quickly, you can use heat treatment of the surface. This could be using an iron or microwave.

It is not recommended to make such paper for examination. It's more likely comic version adding years to sheets. All sheets with and without text are susceptible to aging. If the text has already been applied, then you should carefully monitor the time the craft is kept in the solution. If you overexpose it, then the text will be ruined and you will have to do everything again. Everything is a little easier with blank sheets. If they remain in the solution for a long time, they can spread out in your hands, so you should always adhere to the specified time and not exceed it, wanting to achieve an even greater effect.

If you want to create an antique effect in an unusual color, then you can use brilliant green. Just a few drops per glass of water will make the solution rich and beautiful. If you want to achieve color streaks on the surface, then you don’t need to stir the brilliant green. Instead of brilliant green, you can take potassium permanganate. It is recommended to dissolve several crystals in a glass of water and place a leaf in the solution.

If you are interested in how else you can give unusual color paper, then, soaked in water, it is placed on a rusty surface. Over time, rust appears on it.

If you want to use the most traditional ways aging, then you will need tea and coffee. If you don’t want to dry them, then use the oven to bake them. To do this, place the prepared sheet on a baking sheet. Its edges should not extend beyond the baking sheet. The oven should be turned on to 90 degrees and start applying tea or coffee brewing to the paper. To distribute the pigment evenly, use a brush or foam sponge. When the oven heats up, place the baking sheet with paper in it for 10 minutes. During this time, the paper will have time to color and dry. If a little paint spills onto the bottom of the baking sheet, it's not a big deal. It will be absorbed onto the back layer of the craft.

To properly design coffee-treated paper, it must be rubbed with coffee beans in some places. This will create an even greater effect of antiquity and the ruthless influence of time on things.

View available methods paper aging can be done online. There are many videos there that talk in detail about each of them. If you want to achieve the maximum effect, and time does not matter, then you can put the paper for 10 years and forget about it. To add years, you can do without paints and tools. If there is sun outside the window, then the leaf can be left in the sun for several days. In summer the process will go much faster than in spring. If during these few days the sun is hidden by clouds and it rains, the process will be delayed.

For brewing, use loose leaf tea. It will impart color evenly. Pour a couple of tablespoons of tea leaves into a glass of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Then you should definitely strain it. Pour tea into the prepared bath and carefully place paper there. We wait 2 minutes and take it out. It is recommended to lay out the paper on a flat surface and leave it until completely dry. If desired, you can apply a few drops of tea leaves in some places. This will create an uneven surface with a realistic appearance.

Creating an antique effect with coffee is very similar to the previous option. First, strong coffee is prepared. To do this, pour 5 teaspoons of ground coffee into 200 ml of water and leave for 10 minutes. The coffee must be filtered and poured into the bath. Place the crumpled or whole sheet and leave for 10 minutes. After the specified period of time has elapsed, the sheet is removed and dried naturally on a flat surface.

If you want to make stains on paper, you can use high-fat milk (it’s better to take homemade milk). You need to apply milk with a brush, and after drying, iron the paper. When exposed to high temperatures, dark brown spots appear.

How to age paper in the microwave?

To age paper in the microwave, you need to place the sheet in a container and put everything in the microwave. The temperature must be at least 200 degrees. The craft must first be moistened with tea or coffee. You can create an antique effect with an iron without using other methods or in combination with them. If you use an iron, then you need to stock up on time and patience to successfully complete the job. The sheets are baked in the oven along with the solution, and the result is ready product. After this, it is recommended to leave the paper for half an hour, and then start drawing or writing text.

How to age paper without water?

If you don’t want to bother with water when creating a craft, then you can make it using the dry method. It involves the use of dry pigments for aging. You can take the lead of a pastel colored pencil and crumble it. By rubbing, the resulting powder must be applied to the surface with varying intensities. If you take several colors of pencil, for example, yellow and gray, you will be able to convey the influence of time even better. It makes no difference how you want to do the craft (without coffee or with it) the end result will be excellent. You can ask the question: “Why even bother creating antiques on paper if it can be done faster using Photoshop?” But the process of creating it at home is very pleasing with the result, because every time you get new patterns, patterns and colors.

How to age the edges of paper?

Processing the edges is just as important as processing the entire sheet. If you want to create the effect of transferring a fire, then you should set the edges on fire with a candle or lighter. But this is very dangerous, so it is better to do it over a sink. If the entire craft is set on fire, you need to turn on the water and prevent the flame from spreading.

Scrapbooking is a popular technique among crafters. This is how unique photo albums and books are created using photographs. This is not just a photo album, but life stories. It is quite logical that the effect of element aging is often used here. Photographs, newspaper clippings, letters can be deliberately aged. To do this, use the methods listed above. Using several methods in one photo album will only decorate it and make it more interesting.

Fans of various homemade products constantly need to look for some new tips on how to make something interesting with their own hands. Now I would like to talk about how to do it at home. This technique can come in handy if you need to cook original invitations, write a letter or even just an interesting note to your loved one.

How to age paper at home?

He will consider several simple ways by which a piece of “ancient papyrus” can be obtained from a modern snow-white sheet. By the way, everything necessary for such a transformation can be found in every home.

Method one: Tea

To do this, you need to brew this drink of a certain strength (the color of the page will depend on this) and put a leaf there overnight. The next morning the paper will look as intended. You can also experiment with tea leaves; they leave cute circles on the paper.

Method number 2: Coffee with milk

The next method, which tells how to age paper at home, involves using coffee with sugar and milk. This ready-made drink needs to be poured onto paper, and then ironed through gauze. You will also need to work with the edges, tearing them off by hand.

Method three: Let's remember grandfather Lenin

How to age paper at home if you don’t have coffee or tea on hand? Use milk. So, you need to place the paper on a flat surface and thoroughly “paint” it with milk on top with a brush. Allow the sheet to dry, and then iron it through an ironing iron. The page will gradually begin to turn yellow. Please note: the fattier the milk, the darker the finished leaf will be. This method is good to use if you need to give the product the appearance of paper miraculously saved from the fire. The result is simply amazing!

Method number 4: Varnish!

And now we will tell you how to quickly age paper. To do this, you need to use one that is sold in stores for artists. It needs to cover the surface of the sheet, and it will begin to crack, acquiring a certain shade. However, it is worth mentioning that you will no longer be able to write on this paper, so the inscription must be done first.

Method five, classic

But the simplest and the right way aging paper - put it under the sun's rays. The process will be quite long, but failures or any mistakes are practically impossible - the paper will age evenly.

Method #6: Not for the faint of heart

There is another, but rather dangerous way to age paper at home. To do this, you need to put it in the oven for a certain time. But in such a situation, it is very important to correctly calculate the temperature and time to avoid a fire. Still this method It is better to use only in extreme cases.

Edge processing

When figuring out how to artificially age paper, don’t lose sight of one very important point. The edges of your "manuscript" should be at least slightly frayed. The best thing to do is to tear off the strips unevenly by hand (the edges of the sheet can be moistened, this will make them tear easier). All this should be lightly scorched on top with a candle flame, then the edge will look natural and very aesthetically pleasing. If you want, you can also make several dark spots on paper (again using a flame). Just hold your leaf a little over the candle. However, you must be extremely careful so that it does not burn through.

Old paper will serve as an excellent basis for creativity. It can be used for decorating albums and photographs in retro style, making various ancient scrolls, maps and old documents. In order to artificially age paper yourself, you won’t need much effort, and there are several ways to implement your plan at home.

Tea or coffee

The most famous way to age paper is to soak it in regular tea leaves. To do this, pour 5 tablespoons of black tea (leaf) into a glass of boiling water and leave to infuse. If there is no tea, then you can replace it with coffee: for a glass of boiled water, 10 teaspoons of coffee. The stronger the solution, the darker the paper will be.

The paper must be lowered into a bath with the resulting strained liquid. To make the paper look older and more frayed, you can crumple it in advance. The sheet is aged for five minutes, after which it is removed from the container and dried on a flat surface. If for some reason the process needs to be accelerated, it is recommended to iron the wet sheet with an iron.

Milk

You can also make the paper old by using milk, which should be applied to both sides of the sheet with a cotton swab. When the sheet dries slightly, it must be ironed. If you hold the resulting paper over a hot stove, you get quite picturesque scorch marks that add historical authenticity.

Sun rays

There is another, more time-consuming way to make ancient paper. The sheets are placed in direct sunlight, as a result of which, after a few days, the paper will naturally turn yellow.

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Finishing touch

After finding the old paper, you can work with it a little more to give it a more believable look. To make the paint on the sheet uneven, grind the coffee granules in several places. After this, you can very carefully burn the edges with matches or a lighter.

Any of the above options can age an entire book. To do this, it will be necessary to dip each of the pages into the solution and iron it with an iron. But you can proceed to the next sheet only after the previous one has completely dried. Of course, such manipulations will take quite a lot of time, however, the result will be a rare original book edition.

How to make old paper with your own hands?

For those who are into design, sometimes it is necessary to know how to make old paper. Yellowed letters with frayed edges, pages of ancient manuscripts or maps, photographs from the beginning of the last century have an extraordinary charm. Such elements can be included in crafts using the scrapbooking technique, and used when decoupaging items in a vintage style. Anything that can be made from paper with marks of time will look perfect when using imitation.

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What do you need to prepare before work?

Aging is one of the types of making colored paper. The essence of the process is to color the sheet in shades of material that has yellowed over time. One of the options for aging can be considered tinting in greenish, blue or pink.

This operation can be done in Photoshop by printing the resulting drawing. But to make high-quality material for scrapbooking or other purposes, you will have to do the painting yourself. Since the work involves the use of dyes, you need to take measures to protect clothes, hands and table surfaces from stains.

Paper dyes can be found in any kitchen, so no special chemicals are needed. You need to prepare:

• natural ground coffee (you can also use instant coffee);
• tea leaves;
• milk;
• sandpaper;
• iron;
• lighter or candle;
• photo cuvette or other wide flat dish.

In addition to the above, cutting tools may be useful. To make aged colored paper you will need: pharmaceutical green, laundry blue or methylene blue from a pet store, and a solution of potassium permanganate. For rapid aging, you can also use a pharmaceutical solution of iodine: depending on the composition of the material, it sometimes gives unexpected and unpredictable color effects.

How to prepare paper for decoration

Depending on what effect you need to achieve for further use of colored paper, different methods of preparing the source material are used. Regular printer paper, a notebook sheet with a square or an oblique ruler, book pages, photographs from old newspapers or maps from a geographical atlas are suitable for the job. Different types Papers have different densities, so they must be pre-treated to facilitate the penetration of dyes into the material.

To imitate old letters and documents, a sheet of paper of any size must be folded as it is usually folded business correspondence: triple, quadruple or halves. If the paper is thick, then it is best to do this several times, folding and straightening the folds again. To make it look natural, you can bend a corner of the sheet, cut off the sharp part, twist it a little and smooth it out with your fingers. All this will subsequently give the leaflet a greater resemblance to real old material.

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Book pages are most often worn out and frayed around the perimeter. The paper in the middle usually remains flat and relatively clean. Therefore, when simulating the pages of an old book, you need Special attention pay attention to the corners and edges of future colored paper: they can be torn, folded, or scorched over an open fire. If a real book is used for aging, then the corners can be processed with a file or knife before painting, making them slightly rounded.

All preparatory measures are aimed at changing the structure of the material, making it more loose. After staining, a characteristic darkening occurs in places of folds and creases, which occurs when paper documents are stored for a long time. Edges torn or scratched by a file also change the density, allowing the dye to penetrate inside in a limited area, as happens when exposed to natural environmental factors during storage of papers.

If you want to put a printed drawing on a sheet, you should use only laser printers. When printing on inkjet models, you should purchase high-quality original cartridges with pigment ink. But even this does not always help preserve the print when painting. It is best to apply the design after decoration, selecting the sepia color for printing in the printer settings.

Aging of a paper sheet

A drawing of an old frayed and darkened document printed in FS has a number of disadvantages: it remains white with reverse side, it has a surface that is too sensitive to moisture and glue, which only looks realistic from a distance. You can just as easily make old paper with your own hands, but it will be painted over the entire thickness of the structure, which makes it impervious to the ingress of random drops of water. When decoupage, such sheet material is generally irreplaceable, because it must withstand mechanical stress and not lose color when gluing.

For coloring you need a strong infusion of tea or coffee: for 1 glass of boiling water you need to take 5 tsp. tea leaves or ground beans. As a last resort natural coffe Can be replaced with instant. 10 minutes is enough to infuse. To paint green, blue or pink, you need to prepare a dye solution of the appropriate color.

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Pour the dye into a photocell or other flat container. Place a paper sheet there and soak it in the solution for 1-5 minutes. The process of dyeing dense book pages or cards may take up to 45 minutes. In any case, the moment of readiness is determined by the designer. It all depends on whether you need to add a slight yellow tint or make the paper older. Soaking can cause additional tears, holes, and frayed edges.

Preheat the oven to 80-900C. Place wet sheets of colored paper on a baking sheet and place them in the oven to dry. If it is not possible to use an electric oven, dry the sheets on a radiator, in the sun or at room conditions. It will take a little longer.

Another coloring method

There is another way to create the effect of old paper. To speed up the process, especially on dense material, you need to treat the surface of the sheet with emery cloth, destroying it upper layer. After this, dip the future antique document in full-fat milk and leave until wet.

Carefully remove the sheet and dry it at room temperature. Heat the paper over a fire or in the oven until yellowness and streaks appear.

Inscriptions are also applied with milk. Once heated, they will look like antique ones.

Next, you should evaluate the finished result. If you need to add stains, then the surface of the paper should be moistened over the entire area and a little dry tea leaves should be sprinkled in the right places. As the tea gets wet it will leave random blurry spots. To get dark edges, you need to make a very thick solution of coffee or tea leaves and process the edges by immersing them in the liquid. The scorch marks can be made over a fire - the paper should only be charred.

When the result satisfies the master’s needs, the aged material must be smoothed with a hot iron. Additionally, you can decorate the paper with vignettes using ready-made stamps. An interesting embossing effect can appear if you dry the sheets on a textured surface with the desired pattern.

The technique of aging paper is called “Distressing” (literally distress - “disaster”).

“Antique” sheets are widely used in scrapbooking, in the creation of original letters, invitations, greeting cards. There are many aging methods, each of which will give your paper various shades, invoice. You can create a torn edge on paper, tint it (with paints, inks), cover it with craquelure, or imitate age-old scuffs and scratches. The flight of fancy in this technique is not limited, although giving an antique look to your letters and postcards will be very exciting and not difficult.
I will describe and show one of the methods of aging with a coffee solution.

To work you will need:

* three teaspoons of instant coffee;
* glass of water;
* printer paper (you can take whatman paper or cardboard);
* place for drying;
* iron and unnecessary rag;
* candle;
* small scissors.

1. Dilute coffee in a glass of warm water, pour the solution into a wide container. Dip a sheet of paper. Then give it time to dry (you can lay it out on the sink or hang it outside the window, carefully pinning it).

2. When the sheet is dry, apply a few drops of the same solution to it; for greater effect, you can add a few coffee granules and blot with a damp cloth, this will create darker areas on the paper. Dry.
3. If you want to print text on a sheet, then iron the paper so that it becomes smooth and the printer does not “chew” it. Print the text.
4. Blot the paper again, now you can singe the edges with a candle or a hot electric stove (if you wish, you can hold the paper over the candle, just do it carefully so as not to burn it, then darkened spots will form).

5. When the paper dries a little and becomes slightly damp, fold it four times, then gently roll the sheet with your hands, as if wrung out a rag, thus simulating bruising. You can scratch the paper with a needle, and then rub these places (dry) with burnt ash or the edge of burnt paper (the scratches will appear).
6. At the folds (when folded into four), the paper should be slightly rubbed between the cutting blades of the scissors. Do this carefully; if it suddenly breaks, don’t worry, this effect will make it more believable as an antique. You can wipe it with a foot grater if you don’t have specialized tools.

Experiment with colors (you can make a solution with green tea or hibiscus), try dipping a leaf in milk and burning it over a candle.

Paper aging techniques

The most common and popular techniques are methods of aging paper and other materials, as this allows you to achieve maximum stylization of old pages. All types of scuffs and dents are welcome here. We are not afraid, we press three times and remember, the more terrible the paper looks, the better!

“Distressing” (literally distress - “disaster”)- this is the name of the technique of aging pages. This name brings together many types of aging. This includes creating torn edges, craquelure, tinting, creating scuffs and scratches, and using ink.

Tea-Coffee-Let's Draw, or Techniques for Aging Paper

Let's take a closer look at techniques for aging paper and photographs, creating torn edges and scratches.

If you want to decorate your work with old sheets, you don't have to go to flea markets and used bookstores looking for old sheets, newspapers and torn books. Create all this antiquity with your own hands. It won't take much time, and all the work will be done over a cup of coffee! But be careful not to confuse the cup you drink from with the cup you draw from.

Cardboard (thick paper) aging technique

1 . “Wash” a sheet of cardboard with a tea solution. To do this, soak a sponge in tea, then squeeze it out a little and rub all the remaining liquid onto a sheet of cardboard. Leave the cardboard to dry completely.

2 . Repeat the procedure. But now, without waiting for the cardboard to dry, darken the edges. To do this, drip some coffee with a brush. Allow the stains to spread a little, remove excess liquid paper napkin. Dry the cardboard a little.

3. Use a large wire brush to scratch along the edges of the sheet. To make everything look natural, make arbitrary semicircular movements.

4. Use a brush to apply coffee to the scratches. You will immediately see the entire “drawing” that you scratched. If there is not enough damage somewhere, dry the cardboard first, and then repeat everything.

5. To achieve the same wear and aging, the middle of the sheet should also be treated. Use a large plastic brush to scrub the middle in a circular motion. You will have a small layer of cardboard removed. At the same time, try to make the rubbing look uneven and chaotic.

6 . Dry the cardboard and then remove all paper pellets from it. You can trim the edges a little. Pull out small pieces with a wire brush. Work very carefully so as not to overdo it.

Aging technique for thin paper

1 . Remember the sheet of paper very much. Scrunch it up and straighten it out. Repeat this several times until the entire sheet is covered with small folds.

2 . Straighten the sheet and smooth it with your hands. Prepare a cup of strong tea leaves and a sponge.

3. “Wash” the paper with tea leaves. Wet the sponge and rub it over the paper several times so that the tea leaves seep into all the cracks. Dry the paper a little.

4 . Use a brush to darken the edges of the paper. To do this, drip tea leaves around the edges. And again dry the paper a little, but do not let it dry completely.

5 .Use a thin brush to make small dots of black ink. Apply them randomly around the edges. The dots can be of different sizes. Place them without thinking, but at the same time without getting carried away.

6 . Using a wide wet brush, blur the dots a little so that the mascara smudges slightly and smears a little somewhere.

7 . Use a sponge to blot away any excess moisture and add additional prints at the same time. The sponge will absorb excess ink and print it somewhere else.

8 . Use a small wire brush to “wipe” the edges of the sheet. To get a natural, old, torn edge, brush from the center of the sheet outward.

9. Add small brush damage in other areas of the sheet. Then leave the paper on the table until it dries completely. And from the dry paper you can brush off the pellets and tear off the edges somewhere if you wish.