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marbled paper garland

Marbled Paper Garland

Everywhere I look I see marbling! Countertops, prints, scarves, leather pouches, bags, and pillowcases have all joined the trend. If I could marble my entire house from floor to ceiling, I might just do it! However, I don’t have the budget (or a willing husband) that would allow those changes. So, a pretty garland will satisfy my obsession. This garland reminds me of spring, and the beloved marbled Easter eggs of my childhood.

Marbled Paper Garland

Marbled Paper Garland

Marbled Paper Garland

This marbled paper garland has a gorgeous abstract look. The strands spin in a way that looks like a sculptural mobile. It would go great with other artistic details, like watercolor and calligraphy, for a birthday party or bridal shower.

Marbled Paper Garland

Marbled Paper Garland

To make the marbled garland, fill a container with room temperature water. Pour nail polish in water. Layer different colors on top of each other. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl and make designs with the nail polish. The key to working with the nail polish is to work very quickly as most nail polishes dry fast once they hit the water.

Place uncoated paper sheet on the surface of the water to make contact with the marbled nail polish and pull up to reveal marbling (gloves are helpful to have for this part). Hang marbled sheets to dry for a few hours.

When making the nail polish marbled paper, be careful with the fumes as they can be quite strong (I got a little woozy). Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area.

Marbled Paper Garland

Marbled Paper Garland

Once paper sheets are dry, cut them into squares. These squares were 4″x4″. Place them in stacks of two. Using a sewing machine, sew stacks together to create a dimensional garland strand. Fold the paper so that it goes from flat to dimensional. Hang garland strands individually to make a complete set of garland perfect for a party, or to hang above those not-yet-marbled countertops.

Project by Mara Dawn for A Subtle Revelry.

5 Comments

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  1. I tried out the marbling with a pal over the weekend, and it worked out great! However, SO STINKY!! I had to stop after six relatively fast sheets. I’m going to do it again when it’s nice (read: upper 40s) outside. I’m also going to try it on colored paper.

  2. what a fantastic project. I too have been crazy over marbling. This is a great way to make it modern and fresh, especially using trend colored nail polish. will try it very soon!

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