We've been running our Marbling workshops for several years now and have met so many enthusiastic new marblers - have you caught the marbling bug too? If so you might be familiar with the fast-growing mountain of marbled paper that you inevitably end up with. I am no stranger to this problem so thought I'd share my ideas for what you can do with your beautiful marbled papers. Don't hoard them away - make them into something you can proudly display!
Here in the Marmor Paperie studio, most of our papers are used on the covers of journals and photo albums that can be found here on the website and in shops around the UK, but this is not the only use for marbled paper! If book-binding isn’t your thing, here are four ideas for how you can get creative with your prints instead.
1. Framed Print
This may sound simple but it is often overlooked. A frame instantly elevates a marbled paper, transforming it into your very own unique piece of art that can be hung anywhere in your home.
You will get the best results by flattening your papers first - do this by stacking them neatly and fully covering them with something that has a flat, clean surface followed by something very heavy- think a sheet of plastic or card with some big heavy books on top. You will want to leave these overnight to iron out any wrinkles.
You'll want to find a frame that suits the style of your marbled paper - if it's quite full of colour and the details of the marbling are quite small, you may want to use a mount around your paper to give it some breathing space. You could even pick out a colour you used in your marbling and paint the frame in that colour to tie it all together. Then all there is left to do is hang it proudly in your home!
2. Collage
Over the years I have been amazed by what people have created with marbled paper. I think the intricate details you get in marbling lend themselves well to collaging because you can add so much more colour and detail with the smallest amount of paper. The illustrator and collage artist Kate Slater has used our marbled paper off-cuts to create some incredible pieces of art - she never fails to amaze us with her talent, proving that even a very small piece of marbled paper makes a big difference in a collage.3. Gift wrap and tags
Once flattened, your marbled papers can also make super special, unique gift wrap. This is something I personally love to do for my friends' and family’s gifts - it adds that personal handmade touch. You could also easily cut out multiple gift tag shapes by first backing your paper onto a thin piece of card for stability. Using a hole-punch and some ribbon, you can make some beautiful and unique tags.
4. Get crafty
There’s so many other possibilities for crafting with marbled paper. Whether you're into origami, journalling, scrap-booking or decoupage, you can bring life into your designs with marbled paper. We use acrylic paint in our marbling and within the Beginners Complete Marbling Kit, so if you have been marbling using that, have been to one of our workshops or bought our off-cuts, your papers will be long-lasting and durable- making them perfect for sticking and manipulating.
We love seeing your creations using marbled paper - send us an email or tag us on Instagram - we'd love to share your creations!