It’s nice to have a supply of antique-looking paper on hand for many projects. To make it, add copier and card stock paper to a pan that contains a kettle’s worth of boiling water and 6-7 family size tea bags or 12-14 regular bags.
Steeping Tea
Completely immerse one sheet of paper in the tea. Add up to 6 sheets, one at a time, making sure the liquid covers both sides of the paper. Keep paper in a stack to avoid lines.
After a few minutes (10-15), take the sheets out of the tea and arrange them on towels to dry flat. Continue dyeing in batches until you have the amount of paper you desire.
Once the paper is completely dry, stack and press overnight under heavy books.
Now you have a nice supply of "old" paper
Other tips:
- Experiment with various teas. Paper dyed with black tea will not look the same as paper dipped in orange pekoe.
- Try dying envelopes. Be sure to open the top flap so the envelop is not sealed shut. Allow tea to saturate and dye the inside area as well.
- Using a spatula, press down on the stack of sheets in the tea bath to work out bubbles that may leave white circles on the paper.
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