DIY Projects & Crafts The Method of Marbling This simplified process creates patterns that are looping, organic, and pretty. Use it for paper, leather, or fabric projects. By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 20, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: RYAN LIEBE Sources Alum (#AL1), $3.50 for 1 lb., dharmatrading.com Methocel (#METH8), $16 for 8 oz., dharmatrading.com Dispersant (#DISP), $5 for 2 oz., dharmatrading.com Multisurface craft paint, by Martha Stewart Crafts, $3 for 2 oz., michaels.com What You'll Need Materials Alum 2 shallow plastic bins (with lids, optional) Medium (paper, leather, or fabric) Plastic bucket Methocel Distilled water Clear ammonia Whisk Craft paints Paper cups Dispersant Coffee stirrers (Crystalware Coffee Stirrer Sticks, $5.99, amazon.com) Clothesline or drying rack Paper towels Instructions Prepare Materials: Mix 3 tablespoons alum per quart of hot tap water in a bin; let cool. Soak leather or prewashed fabric in mixture for 20 minutes, or brush onto paper. Let dry flat. (Reserve alum mixture in bin to use over several days.) Prepare "size," or base, for paint: In bucket, mix 4 tablespoons Methocel per gallon of warm distilled water. Add 1 tablespoon ammonia per gallon and mix vigorously with whisk. Pour Methocel mixture into second bin. Let sit until all bubbles dissipate. (This should take several hours; mixture will have a sheer, viscous consistency, slightly thinner than egg whites.) Squeeze paints into paper cups (mix some, if desired). Thin each with a drop of dispersant and slowly add water until paint has consistency of whole milk. Marble: With a coffee stirrer, drop paint onto several spots on surface of size; let pigment spread out 2 to 3 inches. Add another color, dropping paint into middle of previous color, if desired. Continue in this fashion, adding color over color and letting paint spread out and form random shapes. Repeat sequence in several spots over surface. Some paints will spread out more than others; the more concentrated the color, the more it will stay put. Drag stirrer through paint to add swirls and create designs; work over whole bin, or focus on specific areas. Gently lay medium flat onto size, and pat to remove air bubbles. Let sit until fully saturated. Pick medium up by two corners. Gently and evenly pull up. Rinse thoroughly under running water until soapy film is gone. Hang to dry. Lay paper towels on size surface, then lift to remove paint. Reuse size as desired for several days (cover bin with lid or plastic wrap when not in use to protect from dust).