The origins of paper marbling have been linked to many different countries, such as 14th-17th century China, 10th century Japan, 15th century Turkey and several different countries surrounding the Persian Gulf during the 15th century. Each location produced different types of marbled patterns. Today, scholars can use these patterns as a means of tracing the history of paper marbling throughout geographic locations.

European travellers to these areas brought the techniques to their homeland, spreading the art form westward. Then, the patterns changed because of different recipes used to make different colours, the availability of different papers or fabrics, the creator’s design taste and more.

People have applied marbling to a variety of surfaces. It is often used as a writing surface for calligraphy, especially for book covers and endpapers in books and stationery, but it has also been used to decorate Easter eggs, ornaments and many other objects.

Gather all your materials on a clear workspace that is okay to get wet. Clear a separate space for your paper to dry on: an old towel on the floor or on a table is perfect. Food colouring will stain surfaces and fabric, so it is recommended that all your work surfaces are covered and that you are wearing clothing that is suitable for art-making.

Cut your paper into sheets that fit well within your baking dish. This is important so your final artwork won’t have blank spots on it. The entire surface of the paper must touch the water.

Fill your baking dish with about 3 cm of water. You don’t need too much, just enough so the paper will rest on the surface of the water.

Next, fill your bowls or cups with a small amount of oil. It's best to start with just 3 tablespoons and add more if need be. This oil will act as a base for your food colouring, allowing it to float on the surface of the water instead of sinking to the bottom or mixing.

Now select colours that you think work well together and add them to your bowls of oil. Only add one colour to each bowl. About 10 to 15 drops of food colouring will be enough for good, vibrant colour, but as you experiment with this process you may decide to make colours darker by adding more drops.

Mix the colours into the oil really well with your spoon, making sure to use separate spoons for each colour. This is an important step: if the oil and food colouring separate, the colour will sink to the bottom of the water and won't be able to stick to your paper.

Once everything is well mixed, drip your oil and colour mixtures one at a time onto the surface of the water. Try not to dip your spoon in the water.

Once you are happy with how much colour is in your dish, gently place your paper on the surface of the water so that it floats. Lightly tap all four corners of the paper to make sure no air bubbles are trapped between the paper and the water.

Gently lift your paper out of your baking dish and lay it on your towel or drying surface, colourful side up. To prevent smudging, the paper should remain here until it is completely dry.

Repeat steps 5-7 until you have no paper left and you’ve got some amazing artwork that you can draw, write and create on! Post your creations on Twitter, hashtag them with #MacLarenFamilySunday and mention us @MacLarenArt so we can retweet all your creative work!

Tips: If you notice your water getting grey or muddy as you’re working, swap it out for fresh water as needed. If you're adding new colours to your water, stir them in their bowls first to ensure the oil and food colouring is completely mixed together. Your marbled paper may curl at the edges as it dries, but that's ok! Once it's completely dry, place it under a few heavy books over night to flatten it back out.