Marbling is a craft that is immediately gratifying. The freeform patterns and lovely colors that occur in marbling are dazzling. Traditionally found inside books to cover the binding, marbled paper can be used to make book covers, cards or to add special charm to collages.
Materials
LINIT® Starch OR LINIT® Starch-n-Crafts™ Stiffener (about 64 oz.)
Tempera or acrylic paint
Acrylic flow improver or liquid soap
9″ by 12″ tray or aluminum pan
Eye dropper, comb, toothpicks
Paper
Process
Thin paint with water to the consistency of heavy cream. (Paints can be put in a muffin tin, baby food jars or other small containers.)
Add a few drops of acrylic flow improver to each color. (This is a spreading agent.) Or you can use liquid soap, however, use only a tiny amount to prevent bubbles.
Pour LINIT® into tray.
Using an eye dropper, drip paint close to the surface of the liquid starch, being careful not to use too much. Experiment with different colors.
Use a comb or toothpick to gently pull the paint across the surface and create a design. Do not overwork the paint, as you may lose the marbling effect.
Hold the paper on diagonal corners. Bend it slightly so that the middle touches the surface of the paint and starch. Then slowly drop the paper.
Pick up the same corners and lift the paper straight up. Turn over and rinse off the excess starch in the sink. The marbled pattern will not disappear.
Allow to dry.
[TIP: Use a large piece of heavy paper and cover it with clear contact paper to make placemats!]