(no subject)

[makeyoufakeit.livejournal.com]

as promised, paper making.

you will need:
- lots of paper - read step one
- a basin or big bowl or extra sink
- a blender if you've got one. there are ways around it though.
- you can make a screenout of any meshy like fabric, but the screen is also optional
- paper towls, lots of space to lay your paper out


step one. collect all your paper, instead of tossing it into a garbage bin or recycling bin. printer paper, tissue paper, thin or light paper works best. i wouldn't use magazine paper or construction paper, and newspaper would tint it a wierd shade of green, but if you want that then the consistance is really good for this project.


when youv'e got a lot of this paper, and i mean, tons!! you are ready to make paper!!!! i learned these techniques when i was ten years old, and they are easy enough for children to do even with little adult supervision. so get your kids or your neighbors kids involved!!!!

step two. shred the paper into pieces no larger than about an inch. the smaller the better. put it all in a big bag or bowl.

step three. fill a large basin (or sink you wont be using for a while) with warm water. dump all of the paper shreds into the water and stir it around for a few minutes. let all the paper get soaking wet, push it down into the bottom of the bowl. get it all wet!!!

step four. wait a few hours, prefferably over night or do step 2 and 3 in the morning, and get ready to make the paper in the evening. give it at least 3 or 4 hours!!

step five. when the paper is soaked and soggy, take a handful of the gross, fun, mushy stuff and stick it in a blender. pour about a cup of water into the blender on top of it. blend until it's full fledged PULP. do this until to the entire basin, pouring the pulp into a second bowl.

note: if you dont have a blender, let the paper soak for a day or two instead of a few hours!!! then you can kind of mush it around in your hands.... or you could borrow a blender or pick one up from the goodwill for a few bucks.

step six. when you've got the bowl full of pulp, you can do one or two things with it.

option one: take a handfull of pulp in your hands and flatten it out on a slick surface... just keep pressing and pressing until the paper is as thin as you would like it to be. put it in between two paper towels (or rags...) and try to press as much moisture out of it as you can.

option two: you can buy a flat screen with a wooden frame around it at a craft store, OR you can pick up some screen yourself (like the kind on a screen door or window...) and just use it without a frame. OR you can get a mesh fabric type of thing... there are limitless possibilities.

option three - much like option one except you can kind of mold the pulp into an object, like a bowl or cup, or you can pour a bit into a bowl and let it dry inside the bowl, again there are sooo many possibilities for it!!! the woman who taught me how to do this makes paper dragons and fish to hang on her wall with cookie cutters and just shaping the paper to form 3d art...

try to get as much moisture out of the paper before letting it dry. it may take a few days to dry, it amke take only a few hours.

you can put flowers, natural dyes, unnatural dyes, colored craft tissue paper dyes REALLY WELL. glitter is fun.... you can do ANYTHING with this paper recipie. feel free to do it however you like..... it is SUCH a great way to recycle all the paper you use.

good tiding to all,
courtney