How to make plain paper look like handmade parchment

Making paper look like handmade parchment adds a great extra touch to calligraphy projects, stage plays, and film projects. The process does not require any specialized materials. It can be done using everyday items that can be found in your kitchen. Here, you will learn how to make your own parchment projects at home in no time at all.

Stuff needed
Plain paper
Tea bags
Hot water
Large bowl or roasting pan
Paper towels
A lit candle or a lighter
An Iron

Step 1
Heat some water and pour it in to the bowl or roasting pan.

Step 2
Insert the tea bags and let them brew until the tea reaches the desired concentration. The average brewing time ranges from 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3
Crumple your sheet of paper up and then open it back up. Be careful not to tear it as you open it.

Step 4
Lay the sheet in the tea and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

Step 5
Remove the paper and set it on the paper towels to dry. Once the paper is dry, you can decide whether you want to soak it further to darken it. You can also dip the edges of the paper into the tea to get the edges darker than the center.

Step 6
Take the dry sheet and hold the edges over a candle or lighter to lightly singe the edges. The objective is to darken the edges and create small indentations that give the paper more of a handmade parchment appearance.

Step 7
Carefully iron the paper out to smooth it out in preparation for your writing. Use a low heat setting to avoid burning the paper or steaming it with the iron. Once this is complete, you are now free to write on the paper.


Tips:
Always use care when working with hot water and open flames.
Because of the amount of tea used, it is a good idea to dye as many sheets of paper as you need in one use instead of making a new batch of tea for each project.