Greetings! I’m
Elizabeth , and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to show you how to make handmade paper by recycling the un-needed paper you already have!Years ago I taught myself how to make handmade paper when I had 3 children under the age of 4, as a way to express my creativity and maintain my sanity. I also taught myself how to press flowers, and eventually I began making and selling pressed flower cards and botanical art mounted on the handmade paper I made. Since then I’ve also taught handmade paper making classes at a local art galley and developed and marketed The Going Green Paper Making Kit.
In a nutshell, to make handmade paper you need:
1. A blender – to transform used paper back into paper pulp.
2. A “mold and deckle,” i.e. a frame with a screen to allow the water to run through, so that the paper pulp can collect on top of the screen, and forming a sheet of paper.
A typical mold and deckle look like this, and can be found at craft supply stores, or from online sources such as my websites. However, to get you started right away, today I’m going to show you a quick way to make a cute handmade paper “earth” with items you most likely already have. The following is from an Earth Day Project I did with my son’s second grade class last year.
1. Tear up several sheets each of blue and green paper, and soak them separately in small bowls of water.
2. Blend the blue and green separately in a blender, using approximately 2 cups of water for each handful of wet paper. Put each slurry (blended paper) aside.
3. Locate a large empty can (I used a 28 oz can), a smaller can with both ends cut out, and a piece of screen.
4. Place the screen on top of the large can, and place the smaller can on top of the screen, just like the picture below.
5. Take approx. 1/2 cup of the blue slurry, mix it well, and pour it into the small can, allowing the water to drain through the screen, into the large can. The blue paper pulp will remain on top of the screen. Then, take a spoonful or so of the green slurry and dribble it carefully on top of the blue pulp in the small can. Those dribbles are your continents!
6. Carefully remove the small can from the screen, and place the screen down on a small stack of newspapers. Then lay a piece of felt, or a Handi-wipe cloth on top of the screen and newly formed paper. Now, carefully flip the screen and felt over on the newspaper, so that the felt rests on the bottom, and the screen is on top. Your “earth” is in between. Using a sponge, press the back of the screen, forcing the water to go through the felt and into the newspaper. Do this several times, squeezing the water out of the sponge as you go.
7. Carefully remove the screen, leaving the paper earth on the felt. You probably won’t be able to see your continents at this point. Let it dry, then gently peel your “earth” off of the felt. Press your earth in a large book for an hour or so if it has curled up.
The above picture is the paper earth still on the screen, before it was placed on the Handi-wipe to dry.Basically the shape of the handmade paper you make is the shape of the mold and deckle you use, so the above method will yield round handmade pieces of paper.
As a botanical artist, I primarily make handmade paper to use as a background for my pressed botanical collages:
However, the possibilities of using handmade paper are as varied as your imagination. Use discarded silver or gold wrapping paper, and add a bit of glitter to make striking handmade paper to use for making Christmas cards. Old sheet music can be used to make unique invitations for your child’s next music recital. Add flower petals to white handmade paper pulp to make beautiful paper to use as gift tags, bookmarks, or even wine glass identification tags. If you’re a scrapbooker making your own handmade paper is an economical way to create collage layers, tags, frames, etc. You can even add seeds to make your own “plantable” paper!
There are a number of ways to alter the color as well as texture of handmade paper. One of my favorite papers to make is “Green Tea Paper,” where I add the contents of used green tea bags to white paper pulp for a beautiful speckled tan paper. Fibers, potpourri, confetti, pieces of ribbon, etc. can also added to paper pulp to give it personality.
If you are interested in making your own paper, I would encourage you to jump right in, and learn as you go. Once you obtain a well made mold and deckle, a blender, a few sponges, etc. you’ll have everything you need to make handmade paper for years to come. Enjoy!
leaf petals – The Going Green Paper Making Kit, paper making supplies.
Elizabeth’s Flowers – Pressed flower cards and botanical art on handmade paper, flower pressing supplies, The going Green Paper Making Kit.
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Mariel
Owner & Author at Or so she says...
Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!
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This would be so fun to do with my daughter! It seems easier than I thought! Thanks Elizabeth!
K, way cool. And surprisingly beautiful. I’m trying this. Thank yoU!
Really cool! I love the earth project you did with your son. I bet you could make some of the cutest cards for people. Thanks for the tutorial!
Making paper really is easier than you think. Kids love doing it, and it’s not hard to get really great results!