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Today I got a raffle ticket which is used for our seminar party last night. The ticket was torn in half by scissor so that one half is in the rolling bucket and the other half is the guests' hands. The ticket itself is made from a soft, thin white paper.

torn raffle ticket

What I want to do is: Recreate this "complete" raffle ticket as if it was never been cut in half, in other words, is there any way to "fuse" two piece of paper(of same type) side by side so that it forms one big piece? The dashed line between the two piece is intact in this case so that the fusing part does not involve any pictures to worry. Obviously tape should not be used in this case and using glue could end up messy. If I crudely put them together firmly a noticeable seam can be seen.

enter image description here

Actually I find this a very hard thing to do (some people think cutting a paper is irreversible, thus impossible). Maybe someone with professional knowledge or with paper making theories can tell me that is there a way to achieve a flawless result?

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    So you're looking for an advice on how to fix that, so you will be able to cheat and re-use the same ticket?
    – arieljannai
    Apr 28, 2018 at 10:00
  • Hi Ge Rong, Welcome to Lifehacks.SE. Can you tell us how it will be used after it is "fused"? Yes, there is a way to make it look fused; but, No, technically paper cannot be re-attached or un-folded after the fibres are damaged. But, you can make it appear to be uncut.
    – Stan
    Apr 28, 2018 at 12:33
  • @arieljannai , actually just out of curiosity. you know, raffle tickets are meant to be torn to use anyway. maybe after I fused them it can be a good souvenir.
    – Ge Rong
    Apr 28, 2018 at 15:53
  • If you can find a similar paper, you could use a color copier to create an untorn duplicate. Usually the seam will not be visible in the copy if the paper is pressed against the copier glass.
    – James
    Apr 30, 2018 at 11:57

3 Answers 3

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Turn the ticket over and work on the back.

First, clean the desk where you will work. Use good lighting in your work area. Wash your hands thoroughly.

Carefully match the two pieces and join them with a piece of thin 3M Magic Tape™ on the back of the ticket.

Then, flip the ticket over and "burnish" the visible edge on the front until it is no longer visible. (In effect, you are 'mashing' the thin cut edges together until they match. The distance between the edges are less than a thousand of an inch and will blend together well enough to not be visible without a good magnifying glass.)

Burnishing is done with a smooth round "tool" like a spoon if you do not have a proper burnisher which you can get at good art supply dealers.

Finally, carefully trim the excess tape from the top and bottom flush with the edge of the ticket with a SHARP clean edge.

Done.

Spoiler: This takes some skill to do. Practice on scraps of similar paper until you can do it well before you try this on something you cannot replace.

Good luck.

The thickness can be felt if you pick it up; but, it's not visible from the front by just looking at it.

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  • looks good to me to give a try.
    – Ge Rong
    Apr 28, 2018 at 16:00
  • Does this https://www.dickblick.com/products/grifhold-burnisher-set/ with "ball head" is what you suggesting to use for the burnishing?
    – Ge Rong
    Apr 28, 2018 at 16:49
  • @GeRong That's one kind of a burnisher. I have one like that. I have used a spoon or any smooth, round, burr-free tool can be used if you don't have a specially made one. There are different kinds made of various materials from wood, plastic, ivory, bone, metal, and glass. A glass stirring rod with a fire-polished smooth tip (swizzle-stick) was what I used for years.
    – Stan
    Apr 28, 2018 at 20:21
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I'm not an expert on paper in any way, but if could wet the two seams and then press together, the fibres might join together. If someone could comment on the viability of this, that would be appreciated. Please tell me if this solution is bogus or not.

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    Try it. One good experiment is worth a thousand opinions. Then, you can tell us based on your experience.
    – Stan
    May 4, 2018 at 4:37
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enter image description here

So for some time I had been wondering the exact same thing. If two sheets of paper could be fused together without glue or tape by soaking the paper and fusing the fibers together. After I read that reply, "Try it. One good experiment is worth a thousand opinions. Then, you can tell us based on your experience" I realize that was the green light I needed to get up and try it myself. I'm extremely happy to say that I'm confident it would work. In the picture I attached you can see the two sheets of paper fused together still drying. I'm not sure if some applied heat in this stage would help but this is the first of my experiments.

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