The Soothing Power of a Controlled Mess

My executive functioning is at levels not seen since I was three months old, but by golly I’ve made some kind of video of me trying to make some kind of something! Won’t you join me?

Paste Paper

Paste paper is a decorative paper painting technique used by bookbinders for centuries. A paste very much like, in fact exactly like, the paste you use for wallpaper is mixed with pigment and marbled or hand marked on paper for decorative effect. In this project we’re using acrylic paint as our pigment because it’s easy to come by and is available in a kajillion colors.

You can use paste paper for your own book making, zine making, gift tags, collage, fancy boxes, and yep - wallpaper.

What You’ll Need

Get this stuff: text weight paper, fluid acrylics, sponge brushes, mark making tools, several small containers, and methyl cellulose

Methylcellulose

Methylcellulose comes in a powder. You can pick some up if you’re near a shop that sells materials for paper crafts or book binding. Or you can find it online at places like Talas or Hollanders or yep, that big global retailer, Amazon.

The rules of mixing up the paste are pretty loose from what I’ve gathered. I went with one tablespoon of methyl cellulose powder to .5 cup of distilled water. I tried both hot and cold water and both are really lumpy at first and need a lot of stirring, but the results were better with the cold water. I like to think this has something to do with molecules. But doesn’t everything?

Keep on mixing until the powder is dissolved and then let it sit for at least 15 minutes. It should be like a runny hair gel consistency.

Mark Marking Tools

I have a couple combs that I use for marbling and painting that work well. You can buy them online or at your local art supply place or you can make some of your own with cardboard or an old credit card type piece of plastic. You can also make marks with a tooth pick or a fork or your nails or a leaf or whatever you have lying around.

Mark your mark!

Workspace

I tried using newsprint to catch my mess but now that I’ve tried it out, I recommend a smooth, wipeable surface like a piece of plexiglass or acrylic. That way you won’t get as much slippage when applying the mediums and you won’t go through 50 sheets of newsprint.

But just use whatever you’ve got. It’s all for the love of making something anyway.

Let me know how it goes!

Mess making in progress.