DIY Faux Rice Paper Tutorial - Vintage-Style Craft with Napkins and Mod Podge

DIY Faux Rice Paper Tutorial - Vintage-Style Craft with Napkins and Mod Podge

How to Make Faux Rice Paper with Napkins – A Simple DIY Crafting Technique

Hi everyone! It’s Kim from Yesterday’s Tomorrows – welcome back! Today, I’m going to show you how to make faux rice paper using napkins, coffee, and Mod Podge. This is one of my favorite techniques, and I know you’re going to love it just as much as I do. It’s perfect for junk journaling, scrapbooking, decoupage projects, and even making beautiful tags or embellishments for your upcycled jars and home decor.

Let’s jump right in!

💐 What You’ll Need to Make Faux Rice Paper:

  • Pretty napkins (I used floral and sunflower prints)

  • Mod Podge (matte finish works great)

  • Instant coffee (add cinnamon, cloves, or pumpkin spice for a warm scent!)

  • Hot water

  • A brush

  • Plastic surface (like a grocery bag or plastic wrap)

  • Scissors

  • Tape (to help separate napkin plies)

  • A marker (to mark napkin placement)

✂️ Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Your Napkins
Start by separating the layers of your napkin. Most decorative napkins have 2 or 3 plies. I like to use a piece of tape to lift off the backing—it works like a charm! Be sure to save the backing; we’re going to use that too.

Cut your napkin to the size you want. I only needed part of mine for this project, so I saved the rest for later.

2. Mix Your Mod Podge + Coffee Blend
This is where the magic happens! Combine 2/3 Mod Podge with 1/3 instant coffee. I use hot water to dissolve the coffee and often add spices like cinnamon, ground cloves, or pumpkin pie spice—it smells amazing and gives the paper a vintage, aged look.

Stir it up until it becomes a rich brown color. This will give your napkin that gorgeous, vintage inspired aged rice paper effect.

3. Lay It Down on Plastic
Make sure you're working on a plastic surface; this is super important! Your faux rice paper won’t release from anything else. Grocery bags work fine, just make sure the printed side is facing down, so it doesn’t transfer to your napkin.

Use a marker to outline the napkin placement so you know where to apply your mixture.

4. Apply the Coffee Mod Podge
Brush a nice even layer of your coffee Mod Podge mix right onto the plastic in your marked space. Gently lay your napkin on top, smoothing it down with your fingers or brush to eliminate air bubbles. If you get a tear, don’t worry, just brush a bit more Mod Podge over the tear and press the pieces together.

Now, brush a thin layer of the coffee mix over the top of your napkin. Be gentle napkins are fragile! Lightly push in the edges with your brush. This helps the faux rice paper release more easily when it’s dry and also gives it a beautiful, rolled edge effect.

5. Let It Dry Completely
Now the hard part—waiting! Let your napkin dry for 24 hours on a completely flat surface. No heat guns or hair dryers here. If your surface has any bumps or curves, your rice paper will dry with that shape, so flat is best.

🌟 The Big Reveal
Once it’s completely dry—ta-da! It peels right off the plastic and looks just like real rice paper. The back will have a beautiful shine and a slightly leathery texture. It’s strong, flexible, and even folds right back into the shape of the napkin.

I used one as a tag on a decorative jar and it came out so pretty! Just punch a hole and tie it on with ribbon or twine. You can also use your faux rice paper on:

  • Picture frames

  • Scrapbooks

  • Cards

  • Mixed media journals

  • Tags and labels

  • Wood signs and more

The possibilities are endless!

🎨 Bonus Tip:
If you're using the backing of your napkin instead of the printed front, it creates a soft, dreamy look that’s absolutely gorgeous—perfect for layering in junk journals and vintage style crafts.

🥰 Happy Crafting!
I hope you have fun creating your own faux rice paper. It’s such a beautiful way to give your napkins a new life. I’ve got tons of fun ideas and projects coming up using this technique, so stay tuned.

And if you haven’t yet, I’d love to have you follow me over at Yesterday’s Tomorrows. I share lots of vintage-inspired DIYs, decoupage projects, and thrift flip transformations using products I love.

Until next time, happy creating and stay Fancy!!

Blessings,
Kim
Your Fancy friend from Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Materials used can be found here Amazon (Affiliate) link

https://www.amazon.com/shop/yesterdaystomorrownj/list/2E0TRFW78A62V?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_Z82XWQTJE89XPMVYGA65

Full Tutorial on You Tube https://youtu.be/3XxgXQrb0-4?si=XXBd9mv5QegEES9B

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