This is tissue paper I used as a “brayer sheet” while gel plate printing—just a place to wipe excess paint as I worked. It ended up with 40–50 layers on it, slowly shifting from flimsy to substantial.
When the paper felt different in my hands—heavier, sturdier—I took a stencil and did an actual print pull on top.
And just like that, it became something else entirely.
This week, it took on a new life as custom wrapping paper for a neighbor heading off to college. Inside the box: four mini gel plates (circle, hexagon, square, triangle), a few stencils, some texture tools, and a handwritten note.
She’s an only child with everything she needs and wants, so instead of something store-bought, I made her a tiny “art therapy kit” for the big transition ahead.
I’m sharing this here because so many of you repurpose, reconstruct, and give things a second life. There’s something grounding about turning scraps into beauty—about noticing when something flimsy becomes something strong.
If you’ve transformed something recently, I’d love to hear about it.
