How to Marble Paper Using Shaving Cream (FUN Craft Idea!)
Looking for a fun and unique craft idea for both kids and adults?
Try marbling paper using shaving cream and food coloring! It’s a really fun technique we just tried and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as well!
You can marble a whole piece of paper and call it done, or take it even further and use it as colorful craft paper in other homemade paper projects. The bottom of a paper plate can even be used instead of card stock.
DIY Marbled Paper Using Shaving Cream
Supplies Needed:
- Shaving Cream
- Food Coloring
- Wood Skewer
- White Card Stock Paper
- Ruler (or something with a straight edge)
- 9×13 baking dish or pan-sized larger than your paper
- Disposable Gloves *optional (but this project can get messy)
- Paper Towels
Directions:
1. Spray enough shaving cream to just cover the bottom of the pan, and then use a spatula or knife to spread it in an even layer. Squeeze drops of food coloring throughout the pan of shaving cream.
2. Use a wood skewer to make swirls throughout the shaving cream, making sure to get the desired marbled look without over stirring. (Don’t over stir your design!)
3. Place a piece of card stock on top of shaving cream and press down. Gently lift up and out of shaving cream and place on paper towels, shaving cream side up.
Start with one side and scrape the shaving cream off in one motion using a ruler. (This is when you’ll be able to see the really cool marbling effect!) Discard shaving cream into trash or sink and let the paper dry completely.
Place heavy books to flatten paper if it bubbles up after drying.
Note: Once you press a piece of paper on a marbled area of shaving cream, that area is done. Repeat steps with the smaller paper if you have additional marbling space to press into, or clean the entire pan and start over again.
I LOVE the end result. The part where you scrape off the shaving cream is super satisfying and COOL!
It’s fun to repeat the process again experimenting with different color combinations! In fact, we had so much fun ~ it’s a little addicting! My kids loved helping with the swirling part.
This is such a fun technique to do and then create things with the paper!
I made these homemade cards by cutting shapes out of the marbled paper and gluing them onto blank stationery. You can also use it in addition to any paper embellishment you may already have on hand. I was able to make some fun homemade bookmarks, too.
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So pwetttttyyyy 😍
Thanks!!
Cute idea! We did this same thing but with Easter eggs and they turned out so cute!
Great idea! I bet that is so cute 👍
This is very cool looking!
Thanks Laura!
Love this! !!! So much fun! Thank u my girls 12 and 7 will love this ♡
Sure- Have fun! 👍🏻
Cant wait to try this 🙂 … Any idea if this would work with canvas as well?
Same thing popped in my mind..canvas yes or no,.
We did this for VBS last year! The kids loved it.
Awesome! 😀
I did this with my preschoolers today! So fun and easy!
How fun!
Bet your papers smell great too!
I did this a few years back. After they were dry, we cut out large egg shapes and strung them on cute ribbon to make an adorable Easter decoration! So pretty, and yes, the shaving cream part is very satisfying 😄
That is such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Great idea J. Kids could make Christmas ornaments too.
Remind us of this when there are deals on shaving cream ; )
Dollar store Barbasol everyday 🙂
Great idea!
Is it possible I can use alcohol ink instead of food coloring? I like the ink colors out there!
Yes I believe you can use liquid ink colors like that as well.
Question…on step #4 (Place a piece of card stock on top of shaving cream and press down), how hard do you press down? Straight to the bottom of the pan or just lightly enough to cover? Or does it even make a difference?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Ya I think lightly enough to cover is good and you’ll see it start to sink in. also make sure the middle is pressed down slightly too. It’s really pretty simple 👍 – Sure! Have fun. I really liked this craft.
Can you do this with a small canvas board?
When I press The paper into the shaving cream it just comes up dry with marks from the food coloring I don’t get the mass of food coloring or of shaving cream like I see in the photos and it’s nowhere near the same effect what am I doing wrong?
Maybe kind of gently shake the paper side to side and press into the foam before lifting
Want to make a tropical sunset any color udea suggestions would b apprecuated
What do you use to cut out your letters?
Hi – I used my Cricut machine to cut the letters 🙂
I do not have card stock at home, can I just use copy paper? Or will it be too wet and not work?
Hmm it may work out. I tried to look at a few other examples online and a few said 100% cotton paper, not specificly card stock so possibly! If you try let us know 👍
Can you use paint instead of food coloring? Or water color paint?
Thanks!
You can dye Easter eggs using the same method — rolling the eggs in the shaving cream 🥚 🐰
Yes love that! Looks fun 👏
Could I use heavy watercolor paper instead?
I experimented with this craft today for a craft class that I’ll be presenting at my job for customers. I used gel food coloring instead of regular and I think that definitely affected the result. The colors weren’t as defined or bright, especially as the paper dried. I used card stock for the first try. When I used an envelope, the paper wasn’t thick enough. I may have over mixed the colors as well.
Hopefully, my second try (this time with the good food coloring) will turn out better.
The reason this works with paper (or egg shells) is the chemistry behind it. Shaving cream is only slightly polar while paper and the food coloring are polar. “Like” dissolves “like” (the same reason why nail polish remover dissolves sharpie ink, while water will not), so the paper and food coloring are attracted to each other more than the shaving cream. the shaving cream is just a way to keep the food coloring where you want it to be. When people are asking about using this method on a canvas, it could work, but may be more about what the canvas construction.