When I was a kid I watched a TV program that taught you how to recycle and make your own paper at home, needless to say, given how lazy I am, I’ve never gotten around trying it. If you’re interested in making your own wrapping paper or greeting cards, handmade paper is a very good choice. You can search around the internet for some ideas, or if you want, you can refer to one I found.
Things You’ll Need
- Frame or old window screen
- Screen (silk screen fabric, old stockings or window screen). What I saw when I was young was those screen used in common household to prevent mosquitos from flying into your house, I guess they should work just as well and would be easier to get your hands on unless you wish to throw away your stockings.
- Duct tape or staple gun
- Bucket big enough to dip the screen into
- Blender
- All your paper like newspaper, magazines, catalogs, etc.
- Sponge
- Old rags or a very absorbant towel
- Draining board or something to put a wet screen on so it won’t ruin your furniture
Making Your Screen
- Make a mold with the frame and screen, hold the screen tightly in the frame. If you can’t get any frame, you can use woods to hold the screen together but this will mean you’re going to need to include a hammer and nails in your list.
- Use duct tapes or staple gun to ensure the screen is tightly held and no water can escape the side of the screen.
- Gather all the papers you’ve collected, you can mix different kinds of paper and experiment to produce different colors, textures and styles.
- Fill the bucket that is big enough for you to dip the frame in with water.
- Tear the papers up into small pieces and put them into the blender and add in water and start blending!
- You can experiment with different consistencies of the pulp by using different speeds on the blender.
- You can add color to your pulp in this step or wait until later. Depending on what you are using as the base for your pulp, you may find that your pulp turns a color because of the ink used on the substrate you are blending.
- Once you are satisfied with your pulp mixture, place the screen in the water and pour the mixture on top of the screen to catch the pulp.
- Move your fingers around a bit on top of the screen so that the pulp covers the middle of the screen in a paper-like shape, without a lot of holes.
- Once you are satisfied with the placement of the pulp, lift up the mold from the water and hold it still as the water drains from the screen.
- Once the draining slows, place the screen on your draining area and gently use a sponge or towel to pick up any excess water. You can squeeze excess water back into the pulp mixture, or add more pulp to fill holes.
- Place the absorbent towel over the wet paper pulp and press it down so that it creates a bond with the sheet you are making. Use your judgment as to when the sheet is ready to lift of the screen.
- Turn the screen over and scratch the opposite side of the screen so that the paper begins to separate from the screen and falls off on the transfer fabric you are using
- Take your sheet and dry it in the sun or leave it by a window. You can hang dry it or set it flat to dry. Depending on the thickness of the sheet drying times will vary.
- You can add different elements of color and texture to your paper at any time during paper-making process. Use all of your pulp and if you have left over scraps recycle them for your next project …
Please visit the source link for a video tutorial.
(Source: Yahoo! Green)