Super Cool Kid Project!

Many years ago, when I used to have time to do calligraphy, I was really interested in paper: how it was made, how things like sizing affected how ink was absorbed and similar technicalities. That interest led to another interest: beautifully colored papers. One day, I discovered something called marbleized paper, which was paper that was colored to look (sometimes) like marble, and instructions for how to do it yourself. At the time, my hometown did not have a craft store (I KNOW - no Hobby Lobby, no Michaels, nothing! It was a low point in my life), so I couldn't get my hands on most of the rather specialized ingredients and I gave up on the idea. But, every so often over the years, I have re-encountered marbleized paper, and thought about trying again, but it just hasn't happened... Until yesterday!

Thanks to FamilyFun Magazine, Ian and I made a very simplified version of marbleized paper, and I must say, it turned out pretty cool. All you need are:

A cookie sheet

White shaving cream

White paper

Food coloring

Toothpicks, craft sticks or skewers

All you have to do is fill the cookie sheet with shaving cream and smooth off the top (I found that a ruler works best for that). Then, drip food coloring over the shaving cream, and use your stick to drag the dye around. Ian liked circles better then straight lines, and I tend to agree with him. When you like your design, lay a sheet of paper on top of the cream, and gently rub until you seethe dye start to come through. Carefully lift the paper off and let it dry. You can make several prints off one design, or you can modify it by adding more colors or swirling the current ones more.

Some of our finished products: