Hand Marbled Boxes

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This project has been put together by the NFWI Craft Adviser, Pat Lumsdale. Pat will show you how to marble onto thin card to make little gift boxes. When you have mastered the simple technique of marbling, paper, card and even fabric can be used to create or decorate lots of craft idea.

Attractive Marble Boxes
This form of marbling is inexpensive and simple, it requires very little in the way of equipment and materials and gives instant results.

I have used oil based marbling inks floated on water for this project. The inks are easily available in the craft and art shops and can also be purchased from school supplies catalogues such as Dudley and GLS. They are very economical to use and providing they are sealed tightly after use will store well.

Get Started!!!!

Equipment Needed

  • a large foil baking tray or plastic cat litter tray, this needs to be large enough to take an A4 sheet of thin card.
  • warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar (I used malt)
  • Oil based marbling inks in assorted colours
  • White spirit
  • Knitting needle or something thin and pointed to move the inks across the surface of the water
  • newspaper
  • A4 size thin card with a matt surface (takes the inks easier) craft shops sell ready cut packs
  • rubber gloves
  • Colourless fixative (optional) from Art shops. This is used to fix pastels & charcoal when drawing.
  • The inks are dropped onto the surface of the water, I used an eye dropper but anything that will fit into the neck of the ink bottle will be fine, cocktail stick, end of a straw etc..

Preparation

Rubber Gloves
The inks stain easily so wearing rubber gloves, a pinny and old clothes are best.

Spread some newspaper to protect your working surface - the wet marbled card will also be laid onto this to dry. Fit the tray with about 3-4 cm of warm tap water.

Stir in the vinegar, the inks should drop easily off the end of your dropper/stick, if they do not dilute with a little white spirit. I find it easier to decant some ink into another small bottle and then add the white spirit, this way it's easier to get the consistency right.
Off we go....!
Gently drop paint in the water
Take your first colour and gently drop three or four drops onto the surface of the water, the ink should lay on the surface and spread. If it sinks, you've either dropped it from too great a height or the ink is too thick.

Once your first colour has been laid, take the next and repeat the process. You will see that sometimes the inks lay on top of each other and other times they disperse quite thinly.

It is not possible to control marbling when working on a water surface, so just enjoy what happens to the colours! You can never repeat the same pattern or even the distribution of the colour. Using your knitting needle, gently mix the colours to make random patterns.
Making Patterns...!
marking patterns step
Again you cannot control the patterns, sometimes the inks blend and make secondary colours, sometimes they remain quite solid.

If you find the same colour is staying in 'dense' blobs try to disperse them with your needle otherwise they will look very heavy on the paper. If they refuse to budge, try a tiny drop of vinegar or white spirit.

Making Marble...!
Making marble
Once you are happy with the mix, take a sheet of card and lay in gently onto the surface of the water, try to let it all touch the surface at once.
removing
Lift off the card immediately using your knitting needle to raise a corner. Lay face up onto newspaper to dry. If there is excess of ink on the surface of the card, blot carefully with newspaper.

If you have been generous with the laying of the ink onto the water surface you should be able to take another print, this will be a lighter version of the first.

Clean off the surface of the water with newspaper - this will take up any remaining ink. The same water can be used a few times before needing replacing. To keep the marbled card flat as it dries, lay it between the pages of a newspaper and weight it with a few magazines.

Leave for a few hours to dry. This card can be used as it is. Sometimes, depending on the type of card or paper used, the ink can smudge. If so, in a well ventilated room or outside, use a colourless fixative art spray to seal the surface.

Marbling on fabric...!

Lovely marbled fabric
The same process is used but the colours vary depending on the base fabric used. Polyester cotton gives the strongest colour, pure cotton a softer finish, calico takes well and cotton lawn give an expensive looking finish. Iron to set when dry, this should make the colours permanent but I always wash them before using.
Trace off the pattern on the page onto a piece of card, a cereal box will be fine.
Trace off the pattern on card
Lay your pattern piece onto the wrong side of your marbled card and draw carefully around the edge. Cut carefully with sharp scissors or a craft knife. If using a craft knife be sure to use a cutting board and safety ruler.

On the wrong side of your cut out box, score across as marked on the pattern. To score - use the wrong side of the scissor blade or craft knife, lay a ruler along the scoreline, gently run the blade along the ruler.

Fold along the score line. Scoring stops the card or paper from folding unevenly.

Now simply fold each flap inside the one before and hey presto an attractive little box appears!

Now make your box...!

Finished Marble Box
Once the card is completely dry, you can make your box.
Want to experiment some more?
Want to experience more
Look out for marbling courses at Denman College (The NFWI's residential, adult education college).Look on our website for available courses and booking options!

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