Megspapercraft

 Notes on Tea & Coffee Dyed Papers

 

Are you confused about coffee & tea dyeing? – I was!   So I decided to try it out.

 What fun! And what a mess! I hung the wet papers on my drying rack in the laundry & had drip spots all over the floor. But I felt as though I was still in kindergarten or primary school – what a feeling.

 Since that day, I have learned a lot more.

But let’s get more serious.

 

My Tips:

· Tea or coffee – I do not think it matters a lot.  If you want a deep shade, then strong coffee seems to work best.  Tea seems to be a more subtle shade.

 · What kind of papers? – Any.  I particularly love vellum for its translucent look & the texture obtained from the water.

o Vellum

o Vellum envelopes

o Envelopes in general

o Scrapbook papers

o Coloured papers

o Cardstock

o Maps, ledger, texts, dictionary, script, alphabet papers

o Paper doilies look beautifully vintage

 

· Make a jug of tea or coffee with hot water; let it steep.  There is no suggested time. After your first dyeings & you have defined the colour you want, you will have more of an idea of the time & how much tea or coffee – 3 tea bags, 2 tablespoons of coffee.

 

· Pour the dyeing liquid into your dyeing container – I use a shallow baking dish that fits A4 paper.  Add the paper – several sheets at a time – I usually find 2-3 sheets are more manageable.  Hold down the edges if they curl until they stop curling – the back of a spoon works well; press down on any bubbles of air if you want them dyed.  Let the papers alone while they absorb the dye.

 

· Take out the papers.  You can dry them in the oven at medium heat for approx 5 minutes with foil underneath to stop drips.  I prefer to air-dry them. Let the excess drips over the sink & then hang on a drying rack with a peg on 2 flat corners – paper towels on the floor.  This will give an overall cleaner dye.  To obtain a messy dye, add more of the dye into a spray bottle & add patches of colour to the paper. A cup with dye on the bottom will leave a ring.

 

· If the papers are wrinkled & you want them smooth, use a dry, low-heat iron.

 

· Other tips:

o you can create other colours with inks

o if you want to stamp/print on the paper before dye, iron with plain paper on top

o a spray bottle with tea or coffee after the papers are dry works well

o Twinings Tea Infusions etc. do not work

o 

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