How to Tea Dye Paper for Junk Journals: Natasa’s Secrets Revealed! 🍵📚

Ever wondered how to get that perfect vintage look for your junk journal pages? 🤔

Tired of flat, boring white paper?

Let’s dive into the world of tea dyeing with Natasa from Treasure Books!

What Do You Need for Tea Dyeing? 🧾

Here’s what Natasa uses:

• A4 size paper (or 8.5×11 inches)
• Black tea bags (new and used)
• Boiling water
• A large container
• Baking soda
• Optional: coffee grounds

How Does Natasa Prepare Her Tea Dye Solution? ☕

Natasa’s process is pretty simple:

1. She uses about 20 tea bags (15 used, 5 new)
2. Adds about 2 liters of boiling water
3. Throws in a bit of baking soda (about half a teaspoon) to neutralize acidity
4. Lets it cool for 10-15 minutes

Pro tip: Natasa reuses tea bags!

She cuts off the strings of used ones to tell them apart.

Clever, right? 🧠

What’s the Deal with Acidity? 🧪

Tea and coffee are acidic, which can damage paper over time.

Adding baking soda helps neutralize this.

Natasa even uses pH strips sometimes to check!

How Does She Actually Dye the Paper? 🎨

Once the solution has cooled a bit, Natasa starts the dyeing process:

1. She dunks papers one by one
2. Some sheets are fully submerged for an even color
3. Others are partially submerged for cool effects
4. She adds book pages, doilies, and even coloring pages for variety
5. Sometimes she sprinkles coffee grounds for extra spots and texture

How Long Does the Dyeing Process Take? ⏱️

Natasa usually leaves her papers in the dye for a few hours or overnight.

But don’t worry if you’re short on time – even 2 hours can give a nice color!

What About Drying? How Does She Get Flat Pages? 📄

Here’s where it gets interesting:

1. She lays out sheets on a plastic tablecloth
2. Some are laid out singly, others in small stacks
3. For cool patterns, she uses a plastic doily tablecloth on wet sheets
4. She doesn’t iron! Just stacks papers as they dry
5. The whole process can take 2-3 days

Natasa mentions that space can be an issue, as this process takes up quite a bit of room for a few days.

But she finds it relaxing and meditative.

Any Cool Effects We Can Try? 🌈

Oh yeah! Natasa shows off some awesome techniques:

• Coffee splotches for a grungy look
• Plastic doily imprints for texture
• Partial submersion for uneven coloring
• Mixing in book pages and lined paper for variety

She loves the look of splotchy pages but warns not to overdo it – one or two in a journal is enough!

What Else Can We Dye Besides Plain Paper? 📑

Natasa experiments with all sorts of paper:

• Book pages
• Coloring pages
• Lined paper (for that awesome crinkly sound!)
• Scrap paper (great for journaling spots)

She even uses paper that’s been written on one side.

Instead of recycling it, she tea dyes it and uses it for making journaling spots in her junk journals.

Can We Use Other Dyes? 🎨

Absolutely!

Natasa mentions several alternatives:

• Avocado dye (for a pink hue)
• Easter egg dye (for cool effects)
• Green tea (for a grayish tone)
• Onion skins (for a yellow color)

Each of these gives a unique color and effect, allowing for even more variety in your junk journals.

What About Reusing the Dye Solution? ♻️

Natasa is all about efficiency.

She keeps adding fresh paper to the dye solution as she takes out the dyed sheets.

This process can go on for 2-3 days, but she warns not to go beyond that as the solution can start to go bad.

How Does Natasa Use These Dyed Papers? 🖊️

She uses them in various ways:

• As full pages in her junk journals
• Cut up for journaling spots
• Mixed with other colors for variety
• As backgrounds for images or other embellishments

What’s Her Secret for Flat Pages? 📏

Many people ask Natasa if she irons her pages.

Her secret?

She doesn’t!

She simply stacks the pages as they dry, occasionally putting something heavy on top.

This gives her nice, flat pages without the hassle of ironing.

Any Tips for Beginners? 🔍

Natasa emphasizes that there’s no right or wrong way to tea dye.

Her main tips are:

1. Experiment with different techniques
2. Don’t be afraid to mix materials
3. Try different steeping times for varied colors
4. Use what you have – even scrap paper can become beautiful

What’s the Takeaway? 🤔

Natasa’s main point is that tea dyeing is all about experimentation and having fun.

There are no strict rules – it’s about finding what works for you and what effects you like best.

Her favorite effect?

Those cool coffee splotches!

But she loves mixing different hues and textures in her journals for a varied, interesting look.

Ready to Start Tea Dyeing? 🚀

So, are you ready to dive into the world of tea dyeing? Here’s a quick recap:

1. Gather your materials
2. Brew your tea solution
3. Add a bit of baking soda
4. Dip your papers
5. Experiment with different techniques
6. Let them dry (no ironing needed!)
7. Enjoy your beautiful, vintage-looking papers!

Remember, the key is to have fun and let your creativity flow.

Don’t stress about perfection – each batch will be unique, and that’s part of the charm!

Happy tea dyeing, junk journalers!

May your pages be beautifully aged, your ideas flow freely, and your journals be filled with creativity.

Let’s get brewing! 🎉📚☕

Check out more junk journal tips and tutorials here: