Gelli Arts® Gel Printing on Faux Leather by Marsha Valk

Hi there! It’s Marsha here today!

Faux Leather (also known as Leather Paper or Kraft-Tex) is a kraft paper that looks and feels like leather and is washable like fabric.

You can handle it just like fabric or paper, and you can use it for sewing projects, paper projects and all kinds of mixed media ideas.

It also means that you can Gelli Arts® gel print on it!

I bought one roll of unbranded kraft coloured washable paper at a local scrapbook store. The store called it ‘Faux Leather’ and it did not come with any further instructions.

An internet search told me that you could use it unwashed. However, as it can shrink a little, it’s probably best to machine-wash it before you use it for sewing projects. Washing it will also make the material softer. And, as I planned to sew it, I decided to machine-wash my Faux Leather before proceeding.

The machine-washing caused the paper to crease and buckle a bit, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected, and I do not think it had a considerable effect on my prints.

As the paint absorbs into the Faux Leather, it creates a matte looking finish. The kraft colour of the substrate also dulls down the vibrancy of the paint colours. Which I feel adds to the leather look; however, white Faux Leather may give much brighter results.

Sewing Faux Leather is much like sewing leather, paper or vinyl. It’s less pliable than fabric, and you need to use clips instead of pins because every single poked hole will stay visible forever.

Because of its stiffness, a Faux Leather sewing project is also harder to turn right side out. In my case, it wasn’t bad. However, I’ve read that lightly spraying it with water can make turning easier.

Turning my pouches did cause the Faux Leather to crease more.

All in all, I think washable paper is a fun material to Gelli Arts® gel print on. It could be the answer for all those gel printing ideas that seem impossible because paper or fabric just isn’t durable or sturdy enough.

Don’t forget to share your gel prints with us on Instagram using #gelliarts and #gelliartsmade. We love to see your work!

Have lots of fun Gelli Arts® gel printing on washable paper!

Marsha.