Jordan recently came up with this awesome idea to make use of her scrap letterpress paper. It’s simple, quick to make and it creates such a huge impact as a colorful backdrop for a buffet or even a party photo booth!

Materials Needed: Cold-press watercolor paper, x-acto knife, ruler, watercolor paint (or gouache), 2” paintbrush, cup or container for water, vinyl tablecover (or other waterproof surface), pencil, painter’s tape

Step 1: Cut watercolor paper into 120 – 4.5” x 5” rectangles. If you’re using a 9” x 12” pad with 30 pages, you should have just enough!
Step 2: Paint swatches of colors onto each rectangle using big, broad strokes. Play around with the density of the pigment, making some swatches brighter or lighter than others. Lay the papers out to dry on a waterproof surface.
Step 3: Once dry, arrange the swatches out end-to-end in a gradated order. To have the dimensions that we had, you’ll want to have them laid out 15 swatches wide and 8 swatches tall. When you’ve settled on a design, it’s time to put it up!
Step 4: Lightly mark your table’s midpoint onto the wall in pencil.
Step 5: Using loops of painter’s tape, adhere the swatches onto the wall one by one, starting with the middle-most column at the table’s midpoint. Make sure to take a step back here and there to check that the swatches are all going up straight! You’re all done!
Crafting by Naomi Julia Satake