How to Age Paper with Coffee and Salt

Below is a video on how to age paper using instant coffee and salt. This is the technique I used for the EPIC pirate party we threw last year. The paper shown in this video was used to make the book pictured.

 

Materials:

• Instant coffee.
• Baking tray or dish large enough to hold paper.
• Cardstock (preferable) cream color. (recommended)
• Table salt.
• Paper towels and old dish towels (they'll get stained.)
  

Tips:

1. The pages don't need much soaking time. If the water is on the hot side—the paper accepts the coffee very quickly. If the water is very hot you will see splotching that you may not like...this normally goes away after the paper dries.
   
2. For deckled edges: create the edges before dyeing, not after.
3. Give yourself room to experiment. No two papers will be exactly alike!

Dowel Tree Advent Calendar

 

Here's a fun idea to help with the countdown to Christmas day. Try making a simple tree using just a few dowels and hang packets of candy from it. A bonus is that the tree can be disassembled for shipping.

Also included in each packet is a slip of paper with instructions for a very short activity for the family to do. For example: "Family Hug! Wish each other a happy holiday. Now eat your candy!"

These packets each hold a different candy from the other—one for each person—and the kids can easily rip into them since they're made with napkins! 

WHY NAPKINS you ask? First, napkins can be sewn up using a sewing machine, and it's easy to find holiday patters which often include fancy foiling, so why not? Unless you want your advent calendar to last from year to year—which I don't—consider using napkins.

Here's another an alternate example of what the advent tree calendar could look like.

 

Below is a link to a FREE printable PDF with illustrated instructions and a supply list so you can make your own advent tree calendar. I've also included some activity ideas—you can cull from those whichever ones will fit the family you are crafting this advent calendar tree for. I hope you enjoy your crafting time!

Download and print FREE instructions here.