So you've decided that you want to make your paper look like parchment. Maybe you want to spruce up a school project, or maybe you just want to make parchment for fun. Whatever the reason, this article can help you easily create the perfect parchment.

Steps

  1. 1
    Brew a cup of strong coffee, almost black, depending on how dark you want your paper to be.
  2. 2
    Take a piece of paper and crumple it.
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  3. 3
    Gently unfold it.
  4. 4
    Dip a cotton ball in the cup of warm coffee and evenly distribute it throughout the paper.
  5. 5
    Let it dry using a hair drier or fan.
  6. 6
    Light a candle and gently burn the sides, careful not to catch fire, as it may eat up a big part of the paper. Make sure you do this far away from flammable objects.
  7. 7
    Put the paper in a pan and turn to medium heat, use a spoon, or chopstick and gently press down on the paper for 30 seconds, this makes the paper have small brown spots.
  8. 8
    Now you've got your parchment paper like they used in the early 1400's. Use a fountain pen to write with to make the parchment look old. You can also use it to make a birthday party invitation look fancy. Tie with a leather string or old brown string to make it really resemble a scroll-like letter.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Can I print successfully on this paper?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    For best results, print your document or image first, and then follow these instructions.
  • Question
    What do I do if I don't have a candle?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Use a long lighter or a match - but always do it over a metal sink, or outside with water nearby.
  • Question
    What should I do if it doesn't yellow with the tea method?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Put in the tea longer, maybe 10 minutes. Or, you could mix some yellow paint with water (1:3 ratio) and paint it on the paper.
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Warnings

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 19 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 126,275 times.
164 votes - 92%
Co-authors: 19
Updated: September 7, 2019
Views: 126,275
Categories: Papermaking
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