DIY Marbling Tutorial (Fabric and Paper)

A few months back my girl Lindsey asked me to be a guest blogger on her site. After thinking about a few different projects I wanted to show, I chose the Marbling method. Projects like these are TOTALLY my thing. I realized that the fact that the more imperfect the marbling got, the more I liked the end result and that is why this project is for me... the non-perfectionist!

Since that post I have been marbling like CRAZY! I have some fun announcements and other things I get to show you in a week or so and it has been killing me to keep it all a secret! For now, here is my first tutorial for marbling that was posted over at Lindsey's blog. Try it! You'll like it! :)

Marbling! There are a few ingredients you will need to order online at dharmatrading.com but once you have them it is a simple and fun method! Here’s how to do it…

Preparing the “size”The first thing you need to do is to make the size onto which you are going to float the paints.

Methocel (order from dharmatrading.com): can be made 30 min before use
Use 4 tblsp of Methocel and 1 tblsp of ammonia per gallon of warm water
Stir until the Methocel is dissolved and appears clear, let sit for 30 min for bubbles to rise.Reusing the size
The “size” can be used over and over again. It can be kept for 3 to 4 days at room temperature before it begins to mold and must be discarded. 

Preparing the Fabric or Paper:
Pre-wash the fabric and dry. 

Dissolve 3 TBS of Alum (order online also) per quart of hot tap water. Cool to room temperature. Soak the fabric into the alum solution or if necessary, such as for paper, brush it on very thoroughly. Lay it out flat to air dry, stretched if possible to  avoid wrinkles. The fabric must be treated and must be dry before it is marbled. 

Caution – Ironing the fabric to remove wrinkles once the fabric has been treated is not recommended, as alum plus heat can weaken the fabric too. Small wrinkles will not effect the print.

 Now for the Paint!

Squeeze paints into cups and add a drop of Dispersant (order online). Slowly add water until it is the consistency of whole milk. 

Using a straw, add drops of paint to the size. It should float and then spread out. Keep adding colors and make designs with your straw! Have fun!!! 

 Lay the fabric or paper on top of the paint and tap out any air bubbles. Lift it off the size and rinse with water then hang or lay flat to dry. 

I feel like I've learned a ton more about the process since this tutorial and so sometime next week I will do another post about the things I've been up to lately! So check back soon!