Without a doubt, making marbled paper with shaving cream is one of my favorite things to do. Believe it or not, I keep a stack of this marbled paper in my desk drawer at all times because it’s great for making on-the-go Thank You cards to even for writing a pretty grocery store list.
Spoiler Alert: There’s a video of the process at the bottom of this post.
The great news is that this is so easy, you won’t believe it but you will want to make it over and over again. You’re going to get professional level results with a preschool level activity. Now that’s what I consider a hot bargain!
I’m also trying to cut back on the amount of coffee I drink each day so right now
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How to Marble Paper
To marble paper using the shaving cream method, you will need:
- Shaving cream – the cheap kind from the dollar store works great!
- Alcohol inks or food dye
- Paper – I like paper with a little bit of texture such as cheap construction paper but any paper, including copy paper, will work great.
- An old piece of cardboard or another object to use as a scraper.
While this project isn’t overly messy, it can be if you’re not prepared. Start by protecting your work surface. I love freezer paper and use it for pretty much everything, which is why it made the list of my favorite craft supplies. You’ll also want to pull a trashcan nearby (to dispose of the used shaving cream after you scrape it off of the paper) and get some paper towels or a rag ready.
Once you have your work area ready, you can marble paper!
The first step is to spray a bunch of shaving cream on one side of your work surface. You want it to be about the same size as the paper you are using.
Here’s a note: I’ve found that smaller pieces of paper are easier to work with. My favorite size is simply a half sheet of paper.
If you want custom colors, you can use alcohol inks. I made marbled paper with ink because I wanted the pretty fall colors. However alcohol inks are a little more expensive.
If you want to save a ton of money or are doing this with kids, I recommend using food dye. Food dye also tends to come out brighter on this project.
Dot the ink or food dye on top of the shaving cream.
Swirl your colors together. You can reuse this same shaving cream pile for several sheets of paper so go light on dye or ink the first time and continuing to add a little bit more between each sheet of paper to get brighter colors.
This is how easy it is. Once you have your colors swirled, you simple lay your paper over the top and press down. Don’t pull or smooth it, just press all over the back of the paper to make sure it goes down into the shaving cream.
Tip: Leave one corner of the paper out of the shaving cream so you can pull it free without a mess.
Once the entire sheet of paper has been patted down into the shaving cream, grab your free corner and pull it backwards, out of the shaving cream.
Once I pull the paper out of the shaving cream, I always just lay it beside the pile, shaving cream side up. Then I use a piece of a cardboard box that I cut into a square to scrape off the shaving cream.
As you scrape off the shaving cream, the color is left behind leaving a beautiful marbled sheet of paper.
Here’s the coolest part: Once you scrape off the shaving cream, the paper is totally dry and ready to use. Plus the shaving cream makes the paper feel a little bit like velvet.
There ya go. Isn’t it pretty? I’m already working on another project using the marbled paper.
This is one of my favorite ideas that I use all the time. In fact, I’m also working on how to show you how to marble fabric with shaving cream. Imagine pretty napkins or cute tote bags.
If you want to save this idea for later or share it with friends, I’d love you for it!
Hi there, altho this is such a cute idea, how do u see any writing on the paper?? Thanx
Wendy
I usually use a black thin tip marker to write on it but it really depends on the colors you use. I’ve used lighter colors and can use any pen or marker on it.
Hey girl! These are awesome! I want to do this with business cards. I am planning to do it myself. What kind of paper did you use? Did you notice any curling or wrinkling to the paper integrity? Do you think at 125 lb cotton or 130 lb linen would hold up to this without losing structural integrity? I am concerned my cards will wave or crimp? What is your experience??