How to Distress Paper Edges for Scrapbooking

Pick a sheet of paper or cardstock and a few knives from the kitchen drawer. The video uses a plain table knife, a thin serrated steak knife and a white plastic knife. The paper here was coffee stained first, which adds to the aged look but is optional. Any knife with a bit of bite will work, as long as it is not razor sharp.

Lay a metal ruler where you want the edge. Hold it down firmly with one hand. With the other hand, lift the paper and tear it up against the ruler. Wiggle the paper a little as you go. A slow, wobbly tear gives a rougher, more natural edge than one quick pull, which can look too neat.

Hold the paper near the edge and drag a serrated knife down along it. The teeth lift the top layer and leave a white, fuzzy edge with little crumbs of paper. You control the look with pressure. Press hard for a really worn edge, or go lighter for a soft scuff. Work your way along the whole side.

Switch to a plain table knife and hold it upright against the edge. Scrape along the top and down each side. This is the knife the creator likes best, because it never lets her down. Heavy pressure gives a severe edge. Lighter pressure gives a gentle, even wear. Do every side so the sheet looks evenly aged.

Try a plastic knife for a lighter touch. It has very little bite, so the edge only roughens a little. That suits delicate papers or when you want a hint of age rather than a battered edge. Compare the three knives on your scraps and keep the one that matches the look you want for this page.

Run your fingertips and fingernails along the scraped edges. Rub and ruffle the fibres so they lift and curl a little. This softens any spots the knife left too neat and adds texture that will catch the ink later. Press the sheet flat with both hands once you have worked around every side.

Choose a brown ink pad for the aged color. The creator uses Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil, a warm brown that dries permanent. Distress ink in Walnut Stain is a popular softer option. Open the pad and have a sponge ready. A cosmetic wedge, a foam blending tool or a scrap of kitchen sponge all work.

Dab the sponge on the ink pad, then hold the paper up in one hand and sponge ink around the edges. Holding it instead of laying it flat lets the paper crease and crumple as you go, and those creases pick up extra color. Start each stroke off the edge and swipe in, so the ink is darkest at the very edge.

Lay the sheet flat and go back in with a clean sponge. Push ink into the corners and any spots that look too light. Corners get the most handling on old paper, so a little extra darkness there looks right. Then turn the sheet over and ink the back edges too, so it looks aged from either side.

Finish by pinching and crumpling the inked edges between your fingers. Small creases along the border make the sheet look handled for years. Flatten it again with your hands. If an edge tears a little more than you meant, leave it. The creator says she got a bit too zealous on hers, and it still looks the part.