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
megsgarden@outlook.com https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/MegsGardenPapercraft
