Make and Use Coffee Stain Effects for Aging Primitive Crafts

There are several easy methods for aging or staining paper or cloth to make it look old. I prefer to use a mixture of coffee and vanilla. It smells great and it gives a deep rich stain.

1. Make a really strong batch of black coffee by adding 6-8 teaspoons of instant coffee to one cup of warm water. The cheap brands of instant coffee work fine.

2. Stir to dissolve the coffee granules and then add a generous tablespoon of imitation vanilla. Again, the inexpensive brands are fine.

3. Find a container that is a little bigger than the piece of paper you are using. If you are staining a full sheet of paper, a 9"x13" baking pan works well.

4. Pour about 1/4 inch of the liquid stain into the bottom of the pan.

5. Working quickly, dip your paper into the liquid. Turn it over to be sure to cover most of both sides.

6. Do not leave the paper soak as it will quickly fall apart or become too soft to lift from the pan.

7. Carefully, so as not to rip the damp paper, transfer the wet paper to a clean cookie sheet. Let most of the stain drip back into the shallow pan of liquid.

8. Using a sponge brush, flatten your paper from the inside toward the outter corners. Any bubbles underneath will add character to the paper as it dries.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees until the paper has dried. It shouldn't take more than 4 to 6 minutes. Check it often.

10. Remove the paper from the tray as soon as you take it from the oven and set it aside to cool.

Other hints and options: While the paper is still wet, sprinkle a little bit of the instant coffee on the page to make a few darker areas.

You can store leftover stain in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for use another time.

Add more instant coffee powder to make the stain darker, less for a lighter end result.

This process will work as well for fabric. It can be painted on to a finished item for creating age spots, or the fabric can be dipped into the mixture, squeezing the excess out before laying the fabric out on the cookie sheet to dry.