DIY Marble Wall Art + Book Giveaway

We love taking on new interior design projects, so we couldn’t be more excited to try out this DIY marble wall art. Pattern buff, Rebecca Atwood, walks us through the step by step of creating the cool and surprisingly semi-easy paper art. The unique DIY taken from her book, Living with Pattern, is totally perfect for our marble-everything loving hearts!

Plus, it can be used in so many various ways throughout the home. And this is just the first step in living with pattern. We’re giving away a signed copy of Rebecca’s book here today! Get your DIY-fix and then scroll to the bottom of this page to enter!

Rebecca says, Marbled papers are quite easy to make yourself. Here we’re experimenting with suminagashi, a Japanese technique. Literally, the term means “floating ink.” You can frame these papers as I’ve done, combining several pages to make a larger piece, or even just hang them up with T-Pins. It may take you a few tries to get the hang of it, so you can always use a cheaper paper like newsprint the first few times.

SUPPLIES

• 2 small containers for the ink and water
• India or Japanese sumi ink
• Photo-Flo solution
• Tray deep enough for 2-3” (5-7.5cm) of water (such as a photo tray, baking tray, etc.)
• Newsprint
• Small paintbrushes
• Absorbent matte-finish paper (rice, watercolor, printmaking or even plain newsprint works as well)
• Apron or old clothes

STEP 1: Prepare the Supplies

In one small container, pour approximately 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of India ink and 2 drops of Photo-Flo; in a second container, pour 2 tablespoons (29.5ml) water and 2 drops of Photo-Flo.

STEP 2: Prepare the Marble Bath

Fill the tray with a few inches of water and skim the surface with a strip of newsprint to remove any dust. Dip a brush into the ink and touch it to the surface of the water. If the ink is sinking to the bottom, add another drop or two of Photo-Flo. Experiment with the amount on the brush to achieve different tones of gray, but don’t use so much that it’s dripping. The paper you use will also determine the darkness of the colors, based on its absorbency. Dip a clean brush into the Photo-Flo water and touch it to the middle of where you’ve placed the ink. Continue this way, alternating between the ink and Photo-Flo solutions. You can create many concentric rings, and to manipulate the circles into a more rippled pattern, you can gently blow or fan the water.

STEP 3: Marble the Paper

Slowly lay a sheet of paper onto the surface of the water, allowing it to sit for a second, then lift it off. The ink will stay on the paper. Immediately but gently run the paper under cool water or carefully dip it in a pot of clean water to remove any excess ink, and lay it flat, face up, on newsprint to dry. Repeat by adding more ink to the same pattern (you’ll need more ink as you’ve just taken off most of it), or skim any excess color off the top of the water using the newsprint and begin again.

In Living with Pattern Rebecca walks you through both subtle and extravagant ways in which you can bring patterns and textiles into your home – or any area really. We love all the creative ideas and projects like this one! Enter here to win it:

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