How To Create Faux Embossed Leather From Plain Paper

Faux embossed leather is beautiful.
This tutorial takes plain Kraft card to hardly-tell-the-difference imitation.
And no animals are harmed in this process.

Want to know how to create faux embossed leather from plain paper?  Read on… and we will give you what a stationer considers one of the world’s best kept secrets.

There’s something about embossed leather that screams…  oh no, not screams… it’s too elegant to scream.  Quality embossed leather is just so high end. And the best part? It’s vegan.

Maybe it’s only me, but when I see work a talented leather artist has done, I want. every. single thing.

So when I found this technique for making plain Kraft card look like leather, I had to try it.  It is so much easier than you could imagine.

I know you’ll want to try this, too, so here is the directions:

Let’s DIY Faux Embossed Leather

Supplies:

• brown kraft card stock, medium to heavy
• glycerin, or any brand from the drugstore will be fine.
• water
• empty 2 oz spray bottle
• ink pads in vintage colors
• sponge for highlighting the creases and embossing
• spray sealer with shine, such as Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating.
• embossing folder, Darice Deer in Forest was my choice because this card is for my son.
• embossing machine such as Cuttlebug
• brown kraft 5″x7″ greeting card

Prep the Paper

1. Pour glycerin into your spray bottle.  Your mixture will be one part glycerin to 6 parts water.  You can eyeball the amount or get your ruler and mark the side of the bottle with black marker.  Add glycerin to the first line.
2. Fill the bottle with water and shake well.
3. Place the paper on a waterproof surface and spray it heavily.  Rub your fingers over the paper to help it spread evenly and soak in.  Bonus: the glycerin will soften your hands!
4. Turn the paper over and spray well again.  Work it in gently, but not to the point that the paper begins to shred.
5. Scrunch the paper into a tight ball.
6. Carefully flatten the paper, and spray again with the glycerin water.
7. Scrunch the paper again, getting new creases. Do this three or four times. By now the paper will be soft and pliable.
8. Flatten the paper.
9. Pick the shinier side of the paper for the top surface of this optional step: Rub stamp pads over the creases in the paper. This will lightly color and highlight the folds. And give it a more authentic look.
10. Spray the paper once more, and scrunch it up again.
11. Flatten the paper and when the paper is still damp, but not dripping, place it in the embossing folder.
12. Create a “sandwich” with plates and the paper in the folder. Run it through the embossing machine.
13. Carefully remove the embossed paper from the folder and gasp with delight. Let it dry on a flat surface.
14. Dab ink color onto the design with a sponge dauber, and the design will pop even more.
15. Spray the embossed piece with sealer (in a spray-safe space, either outdoors or in a box.) With your finger tips, flatten any fibers that pop up from the spray.
16. Trim the edges of the piece to desired size. We made ours 4.25″ x 5.5″.
17. Adhere to the front of your 5″x7″ card, and finish off as you’d like.
18. The Graphics Fairy has a tute for this process that you may want to check out.

More Imitation Leather ideas to create:

How to Make Faux Leather Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

Hunter’s Card for Father’s Day

Make Faux Embossed Leather

today with the above DIY,

or save for later with this post pinned to your want-to-do Pinterest board: