Advent Craft: Marbleized Paper

One of the refrigerator magnets we made

I realize that this post is a bit late. But, one thing that I learned this week made me realize how much longer these seasons really are.

Did you know that a long long time ago the Christmas Season lasted allllllll the way to February 2? What is the significance of that date? Groundhog day? Nope!! The Presentation of our Lord. That day when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple as an infant - Where Simeon and Anna were waiting for the Messiah - that's where we get the Canticle of Simeon.

And for that reason, I feel like the season that precludes Christmas can still be considered. It was the start of Advent, I went to talk to one of my good friends, who happens to be an art teacher. I asked her if she had ever made marbleized paper. The discussion turned and what came out of it was that we both have an affinity for crafting, creating art for our loved ones during Advent as a way of centering ourselves and praying for the ones that we love and care for most.

So Gracie and I set out this year to make marbleized paper magnets and other marbleized wonders...

We have everything we need - Shaving cream, swirling sticks (from Starbucks,) a scraper, paper, inks, a cookie sheet, and lots of newspaper to cover the surfaces

*Note: I used calligraphy inks because that was what I had around. All of the sites I read said that you could use acrylics or liquid water colors as well.

Gracie puts the shaving cream down

She adds inks - all of her favorite colors

Then Swirl

When you get the swirl effect you desire you lay your cardstock down on the shaving cream and press gently so that all of the paper is touching shaving cream. Then you pull it up and scrape off the shaving cream. What is left behind is the beautiful image of the swirls...

I made this for Gracie for Christmas. This was her favorite paper that we made. Her name in Latin.