Tarpaper Submarine: Paper Marbling and Framing Using Glass Clip Frames

A while back, my grandkids and I made marbled paper, first using a marbling kit called "The Paper Marbling Kit" (pictured below) by Jane Dickinson, and later adding a variety of colors from Liquitex acrylic paints. We also looked up "paper marbling" on yahoo.com/videos, where we could see actual demonstrations from professional marblers.

We completed the project over two days. The first day was used preparing the alum and starch mixtures. The paper to be marbled was then dipped in the alum water and allowed to dry overnight. The starch was used on the second day for floating the paints on when doing the actual marbling, but takes some time to prepare.

We tested several kinds of paper, and found that 24# brochure paper with a slightly shiny finish worked best.

We had a wonderful time making a mess, and got some very fancy papers. Of course, the grandkids took their own favorites home. But since then, I let the paper rest on a shelf in the studio while I contemplated its fate. I could save some for future projects, sell some on Etsy, and matt or frame some of the really special pieces for sell at local shops and Etsy.

This weekend I found plain glass "invisible frames" in AC Moore and decided they would be perfect for displaying our paper. The paper is pretty enough that it doesn't require a fancy frame; these frames work beautifully.

Plus, they're fast. Like a rabbit.

Just take the clips off, cut the paper exactly to fit, sandwich it between the glass and backing and pop the clips back into place.

Voila! Art ready to go in under five minutes.

I bought 4x6's and 5x7's, but these little frames also come in larger standard sizes which are good for children's art and photographs. It makes for a nice, clean finish. Another plus is that they are inexpensive. I got these half price, so they were only two dollars each.