Making double tissue paper in 10 steps

[zdenko]

Needed accessories: methylcellulose glue, wide soft hair brush, saucer, glass/plexiglass or other similar surface, scissors
Forbidden accessories: plastic tube, card for removing bubbles

Step 0. Cut the tissue paper so that one side lays completely on the glass. Other side should go little over the boundaries of the glass surface - just enough so you can later easily take its dry edges with hands. Let's say glass dimensions are 40 x 40 cm and we want 35 x 35 double tissue. We should then cut the paper(s) to be 38 x 50 cm.
Step 1. Spread the glue evenly on the glass using the brush. Use the brush and saucer for removing the excess glue. If the tissue paper is very thin and/or fragile use little more glue. That way paper alone will soak up the glue more so it won't be to much sticked to the glass. Also you won't have to use much brush in step 3. All that will minimize the chance for paper tearing.
Step 2. Take the paper shorter edge (38 cm) with left and right hand and put it slowly on the glass - paper should be spread when holding. Don't do it all at once, do it starting from the top (longer edge) and at angle. This is important. If you do it slowly enough you will notice how glue on glass acts like a magnet as you lower the paper on glass surface. Do it at angle and spread so that the top edge will be glued first. Once the top edge sticks to the glass start lowering. Use the fingers on one hand to help lower evenly (across the line) while other one is holding the paper sheet and controlling the movement. This lowering procedure could take up to half minute. Result will be much from perfect. But that's OK. Our goal is to have maximum paper surface sticked to the glass, not using the force. Shorter side of the paper that lays off the glass should stay dry (5 cm on both side).
Step 3. Spill the little amount of glue on paper. Take the brush and gently cover as much paper surface with glue. Spill again, brush and repeat until you cover the entire paper surface. Again, not using the force. Previous step will result with regions of trapped air (potential wrinkles) which must not be pressed against the surface. In the end it should look like we excessively used spray bottle. As in Step 2. finished result will not look nice. But don't panic. That's expected.
Step 4. Take the dry side edge closer to you with both hands (pinch far corners) and slowly raise the paper from the glass. Continue raising slowly towards the middle. Then again slowly lower the paper on the glass. Then again raise to the middle (or little bit more) and then lower again on the glass. As you are doing that you will notice how bumps are gradually fading and paper begins to flatten. Repeat this raising-lowering process until bumps completely disappear, or something close to that. Then take the opposite dry side of the paper and repeat this up and down procedure on the other half of the sheet. Do that as long as it takes. Paper will with the help of gravity eventually flat itself.
Step 5. In the previous step we flattened the paper. Paper is now soaked with the glue we have to remove. So take the brush and begin to remove the excess glue. You will notice how paper begins to "float" as you move the brush. That is the sign that paper now lays perfectly flat on the surface below. If you use the brush strategically you can eliminate rest of the bumps. Continue and be careful to not tear up the paper. Stop when all the pools of glue are gone. Paper must be evenly soked before we proceed to the next step.
Step 6. Repeat step 2. with the second tissue. But this time put the paper across the first one.
Step 7. Repeat step 3.
Step 8. Repeat step 4.
Step 9. Repeat step 5.
Step 10. Take the scissors (or do it with hands) and cut the dry paper edges. All two paper tissues must now lay completely on the glass. Take the brush and continue to remove excess glue until there is nothing to remove. It is crucial to remove as much glue as possible (otherwise wrinkles may form). Let it dry.

If you want to make triple or even more layer tissue just repeat steps 6 to 9 before proceeding to Step 10.


Additional tips:
Step 0. If your glass surface is much bigger than the size of the paper you are making procedure remains the same. You just need to leave the edges dry as described in later steps.
Step 2. For beginners it will be easier to use more glue in Step 1. That way paper will stick to the glass "by itself" more easily. Drawback is that paper will be oversoaked so it will take more time to remove excess glue after.
Step 3. Brush should barely touch the paper. Point of this step is that in the end paper must be covered and soaked with glue, not flattened.
Step 4. Sometimes it will be necessary to raise the paper as far as you can - especially if Step 2. ends with ugly bumps. If that is not enough and bump stays, often because it is overfilled with the glue (not air), then you have to remove this trapped glue with the brush. This could be tricky so be careful. You have to raise the paper with one hand (pinch dry edge corner closer to the bump) and take off excess glue using the brush from inside. Slowly lower down the paper and if lucky bump will disappear. If not, stay cool and continue with the Step 5.
Step 5. Let's say there is long vertical bump in the middle of the paper we didn't manage to eliminate in previous step. You should first remove excess glue on one half of the sheet. Brush strokes should be perpendicular to the bump line, going from the middle towards the border of the glass. When you remove enough, paper will stop floating. Then start doing the same on the other half. You will notice how paper will begin to stretch a little towards the border. If you do it right, after couple of strokes the bump will disappear.

[Timoris]

Excellent guide!

Thank you.

Have you tried spray-glue? I use it for tissue-Foil but never tissue-tissue.

I believe there would be wide amount of disadvantages, but am curious as to what they would be

[zdenko]

Thank you, I am glad you like it!

No, I tried the mix of methylcellulose and white glue with the brush but it didn't work well. I guess result would be similar if I used spray glue. It is based on white glue, I think. Main disadvantage: white glue sticks too fast so the wrinkles is inevitable. That's OK if you like this look or texture. I don't.

My method use MC only. This type of glue, with the technique described, enables me to completely flatten the paper. Result is double/triple/.. tissue with zero or almost zero wrinkles. Finished paper looks close to factory made.

P.S. I had the idea to fill spray bottle with MC glue but I never tried this - I assumed it would be too thick to use as a spray.

[Timoris]

OH!

I mean glue that is sold in pressurised cans, not MC at all