Marbling Kit Instructions

These marbling kits are made for decorating objects and not people and can even be hazardous.

Marbling kit instructions.

Reserve alum mixture in bin to use over several days. Using the correct acrylic body marbling paint is extremely important. The ancient art of paper marbling has historically been associated with the book arts. Alum treated fabric or paper should be used within 2 days or placed in an airtight container or bag as the alum deteriorates and also can rot.

The technique involves floating paints on the surface of a gel like medium known as the marbling size and then transferring this floating design onto paper or fabric. Mix 3 tablespoons alum per quart of hot tap water in a bin. A mordant must be used on paper and fabric so that the marbled design will adhere to the fiber or paper quickly and permanently. Soak leather or prewashed fabric in mixture for 20 minutes or brush onto paper.

Then you capture your design by laying a treated piece of fabric or paper down on top of the paint to transfer the swirls to the fabric. The floating paints are swirled into patterns. Marbling is the process of floating fabric paints on the surface of a thick cellulose solution called size somewhat like oil on water.