Marbling is easy and the marbled paper can be used to make beautiful hand-made cards or as wrapping paper (for a smallish present). It’s messy (wear an old shirt over your clothes) and you’ll have different coloured paint under your nails for a few days after, but it’s fun!

old jam tart tin
old rectangular tin (A4 size)
oil paints
turpentine
old icy-pole sticks or nails
old newspaper

Place a good-sized (about a teaspoon) different coloured glob of paint into each jam tart hole. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of turpentine to each glob and mix well with an icy-pole stick or an old nail. Fill the rectangular tin with water until it almost reaches the brim. Use the sticks to glob paint mixture into the water. Swirl the paint around to achieve the marbeled effect. Gradually lower paper into the water starting from the middle and then lowering the sides, ensuring that the back of the paper doesn’t get wet. Life the paper up immediately and allow the excess water to drip off. Dry on newspaper.