Thursday, June 2, 2016

How to make patterned papers - Part 1

I had lots of plain card stocks. But in love with patterned paper, because it gives a beautiful finishing.
Finally decided to create my own patterend papers with the items at home and loved the results.


  1. Vegetables for stamping
  2. Hand made stencils 
  3. Marble floor technique
  4. Sponge technique
  5. Spray technique
  6. Textured materials
  7. Cotton bandage
  8. Thread and paint effect
  9. Blade and paint effect
    1. Vegetables for stamping

    Items required:
    • Hard potato, Onion, Thick beans, Thick lady finger
    • Preferably V-shaped knife
    • Poster/Water paints
    • Card stock
    Cut the potato in to half. Draw the shape required. Cut the unwanted portion as shown in figure. Top the potato with color. Keep pressing potato on paper in the way you wanted. Allow the paint to dry before using. Try the same with Onion, Beans, Lady finger.

    2. Handmade stencils

    Items required:
    • Hard bind paper. Thick invitation cards will do
    • Paper knife or punches
    • Poster/Water paints
    • Card stock
    Draw required shape on invitation card. Cut the unwanted portion as shown in figure. Keep the ready stencil on card stock. Paint over the stencils or do spray painting. Here is your beautiful patterned paper is ready. You may wish to try the snowflake patterns. 

    3. Marble flooring

    Items required:
    • Enamel paints are best. Even nail polishs will do. (Choose paints which are non-soluable in water)
    • Hallow plate with enough water. Ensure that plate is bigger than card stock.
    • Card stock
    Put few drops of paints in plate filled with water. Use a stick and

    Draw required shape on invitation card. Cut the unwanted portion as shown in figure. Keep the ready stencil on card stock. Paint over the stencils or do spray painting. Allow the paint and paper to dry before using.

    4. Sponge technique

    Items required:
    • Poster color/Water paints are best. Because pours in sponge will not be closed
    • Double sided gum tape
    • Sponge firm one
    • Card stock
    • Waste scales/Wooden stick to attach
    Cut the sponge in to shape required. Attach the sponges on to scale with double sided gum tape. Paint each sponge piece with different color. Keep pressing the scale on to card stock. With this technique created a chess board patterned and multiple circled patterned papers.

    5. Spray technique

    Items required:
    • Poster color/Water paints are best. 
    • Waste tooth brush
    • Card stock
    Make the paint a bit watery. Soak the tooth-brush bristles in to paint. Shed off excess water. On top of card stock hold the tooth brush. Press the finger on bristles and move the finger slowly in opposite directions. The paints are sprinkled and gives spray kind of look.

    6. Textured materials

    Items required:
    • Poster color/Water paints are best. 
    • Textured materials like corrugated paper, 
    • Card stock

    Pour the little watery paint over the flat plate/surface. Dip the textured surface on to plate. Shed off excess water by shaking. Press the painted surface on card stock and run lightly if required. Allow the card stock to dry. Try the same textured with different colors.

    7. Cotton bandage

     Items required:
    • Poster color/Water paints are best. 
    • Textured materials like corrugated paper, 
    • Card stock
    Take a cotton bandage. Dip the bandage in paint.  Squeeze the bandage to remove excess paint and water. Spread the cotton bandage on card stock and cover one more card stock. Press the card stock. Remove the upper card stock and bandage. Allow the card stock to dry. There is netted pattern card stock :)

    8. Thread and paint effect

     Items required:
    • Poster color/Water paints are best. 
    • Cotton threads are best. Woolen threads will also do. 
    • Card stock
    Take a thread. Dip the thread in paint.  Squeeze the thread to remove excess paint. Carefully organize the thread on card stock in the way you wanted. i.e flower/leaf/Rectangle shapped etc. Cover with one more card stock. Hold the card stock with medium pressure. Slowly drag the thread ends out of card stock. This results in delicately storkes and shades of paint.

    9. Blade and paint effect
       Items required:
      • Poster color/tube water paints are best. 
      • Blades, blunt knifes 
      • Card stock
      Squeeze the paint from tube on edge of blade or knife. Hold the blade at an angle of 60 degree inclined to card stock. Drag the blade for 1 cm. Do the same steps to cover card stock. This results in a kind of embossed look to card.