Substitutes for Vellum in Crafts

Vellum is animal skin prepared for writing, printing or painting. The skin is prepared through cleaning, bleaching, stretching it on a frame, and scraping it with a knife. Vellum has been used for thousands of years because of its beauty and durability. Vellum documents from over a thousand years ago are still in existence today. Because of the expense and labor involved in making vellum, it is very expensive, so people often look for substitutes for vellum that still have vellum's qualities.

Pergamenata paper is much less expensive than vellum, but it works very much like vellum. If you make a mistake while you're writing on it, you can scrape the ink away and dust it with gum sandarac to make it like new again. Pergamenata paper comes in two colors, natural and white, and it has a warm, mottled look. It also comes in two different weights.

Tracing paper is a semi-opaque paper that is often used for tracing. It's suitable for laser printing, ink jet printing, and many kinds of art printing. It also accepts pencil well, so it's used for drafting. Tracing paper comes in different finishes and different weights. It works well for making cards or adding a subtle layer to a scrapbook page.

For craft projects that traditionally use vellum, aluminum sheets can do the job and stand up to significant wear and tear. Aluminum sheets come in different thicknesses, so you can choose your type depending on your craft. You can buy them in sheets, foils and squares. When cutting aluminum sheets, use a sharp craft knife and a self-healing mat on your work surface.

Non-stick baking paper, also known as parchment paper, can be used in place of vellum for craft projects. It's not as translucent as tracing paper, but it has a waxy surface that makes it quite durable. It is easy to cut with a pair of regular craft scissors and comes in rolls, so if you need a very long segment, you can simply unroll more paper.