Stained my book edges with black tea last Sunday - turned out way darker than I wanted

I soaked the edges of a cheap paperback in a bowl of strong black tea for 3 hours after watching a tutorial, but now the pages look like they went through a flood. The stain went way deeper than the video showed and the pages stick together near the edges. Anyone else mess up their first attempt at edge staining and have a fix for making it look intentional?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_jackson281d agoMost Upvoted

Tea stains are NO joke, that's permanent now.

luna_sanchez1d ago

I read on a bookbinding forum that dipping for just 5-10 minutes gives a lighter antique look, 3 hours is way too long for tea. Try gently separating the sticky pages with a palette knife and pressing the book under a stack of heavy books for a few days.