Can we talk about how staining pages with coffee is overrated

I tried the coffee staining thing last week on a beat up copy of a fantasy novel I got at a garage sale. It just made the pages smell weird and curl up unevenly, not the vintage look everyone promises. Has anyone else found a better method that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_carr541mo ago

I read a blog post by a bookbinder who said tea bags work way better than coffee for staining pages. She mentioned it gives a more even yellow tone without the strong smell, plus you can control how dark it gets by steeping the bags longer. Might be worth trying on a scrap page first before your whole book.

rivera.keith1mo ago

Ha, a buddy of mine actually ruined a whole stack of pages trying the coffee method once (his kitchen smelled like a diner for a week). Wish I'd seen this tip sooner - the even yellow tone thing sounds way better for the old paper look he was going for.