How to make a paper bowl
Aug. 18th, 2005 12:54 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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craftgrrlHow to make a paper bowl
well it took me a while but I finally got the time to write up a tutorial on how to make a paper bowl and this is what I came up with :)
How to make a paper bowl
Supplies
blender - I recommend that you use one that you NEVER want to use for food again :)
Mesh strainer- I found a great one that sits flat at Target
Plastic wrap - needed for covering the bowl and what ever it sits on until it dries
lint from dryer - (recommended but not necessary) adds stability to your paper bowl
mix of papers - recommend several different types from tissue paper, paper towels, copy paper etc... Try not to use any shiny paper or paper with a lot of type.
Bowl - bowl should get wider at the top so that you can remove the paper without ripping your bowl
Paper towels and cloth towels - you will need quite a few to try to get all the water out of the paper
Chop paper up into small ) penny or smaller sized pieces and place in warm water
(for best results allow to sit over night in water)
Put a small pinch of paper in blender (smaller amount is better but make sure you at least have 4 parts water to one part paper)
add a pinch of dryer lint to blender
Star on lowest setting on blender and gradually increase (I use about a count of three between settings unless blender is still straining to mix paper then wait longer on that setting until blender no longer has to work to blend) and when you get to the highest setting stay there for a count of 30 and then move back down the settings until it is off. (REMEMBER to hold lid on blender for entire time it is running)
check paper in blender, it should be very liquidly and smooth to the touch.
poor sludge into mess strainer and stir with hands until the paper has most of the water out of it and feels like a soft clay. Repeat prior steps until you have enough paper to cover a bowl
Take your bowl your going to use at the mold and cover it and what ever it sits on in plastic wrap (wet paper sticks to glass and just about everything except the plastic wrap :))
Start putting paper pulp onto plastic covered bowl and pat it to smooth it out, (patting it like a meat loaf works much better than trying to rub it smooth)
after the bowl is complete covered in paper use paper towels and towels to press the water out (lay them over the paper and press tightly until you have pressed out as much water as you can. (the tighter you press the less air you will have in your paper and your paper will be stronger) I personally press until water doesn't totally soak the towel
after a count of three.
Place it in a warm breezy place to dry (mine takes about three days in 80 degree weather in the sun) lol
When you are ready to remove the paper (bowl should feel dry to the touch, if it starts to pull apart stop and let it dry some more) grab the plastic wrap that has curled around to the inside of the bowl and gently tug it away from the bowl you used as a mold. Let it dry some more as it may still be slightly damp where the plastic wrap was.
If you don't like the way your bowl turned out rip apart and place in bowl of water (will fall apart very very easy if paper that is molded gets placed in water)
When ready to decorate you can use Elmers glue to make bowl stronger if needed. Paint and decorate bowl (be careful not to use a lot of water as paper is very absorbent and will want to fall apart if it gets very very wet. Paints will absorb into bowl a lot. If you find that you can't paint the bowl the way you want stop and cover bowl with gesso or glue then try painting again.
When done decorating make sure to seal your bowl and your done :)
well it took me a while but I finally got the time to write up a tutorial on how to make a paper bowl and this is what I came up with :)
How to make a paper bowl
Supplies
blender - I recommend that you use one that you NEVER want to use for food again :)
Mesh strainer- I found a great one that sits flat at Target
Plastic wrap - needed for covering the bowl and what ever it sits on until it dries
lint from dryer - (recommended but not necessary) adds stability to your paper bowl
mix of papers - recommend several different types from tissue paper, paper towels, copy paper etc... Try not to use any shiny paper or paper with a lot of type.
Bowl - bowl should get wider at the top so that you can remove the paper without ripping your bowl
Paper towels and cloth towels - you will need quite a few to try to get all the water out of the paper
Chop paper up into small ) penny or smaller sized pieces and place in warm water
(for best results allow to sit over night in water)
Put a small pinch of paper in blender (smaller amount is better but make sure you at least have 4 parts water to one part paper)
add a pinch of dryer lint to blender
Star on lowest setting on blender and gradually increase (I use about a count of three between settings unless blender is still straining to mix paper then wait longer on that setting until blender no longer has to work to blend) and when you get to the highest setting stay there for a count of 30 and then move back down the settings until it is off. (REMEMBER to hold lid on blender for entire time it is running)
check paper in blender, it should be very liquidly and smooth to the touch.
poor sludge into mess strainer and stir with hands until the paper has most of the water out of it and feels like a soft clay. Repeat prior steps until you have enough paper to cover a bowl
Take your bowl your going to use at the mold and cover it and what ever it sits on in plastic wrap (wet paper sticks to glass and just about everything except the plastic wrap :))
Start putting paper pulp onto plastic covered bowl and pat it to smooth it out, (patting it like a meat loaf works much better than trying to rub it smooth)
after the bowl is complete covered in paper use paper towels and towels to press the water out (lay them over the paper and press tightly until you have pressed out as much water as you can. (the tighter you press the less air you will have in your paper and your paper will be stronger) I personally press until water doesn't totally soak the towel
after a count of three.
Place it in a warm breezy place to dry (mine takes about three days in 80 degree weather in the sun) lol
When you are ready to remove the paper (bowl should feel dry to the touch, if it starts to pull apart stop and let it dry some more) grab the plastic wrap that has curled around to the inside of the bowl and gently tug it away from the bowl you used as a mold. Let it dry some more as it may still be slightly damp where the plastic wrap was.
If you don't like the way your bowl turned out rip apart and place in bowl of water (will fall apart very very easy if paper that is molded gets placed in water)
When ready to decorate you can use Elmers glue to make bowl stronger if needed. Paint and decorate bowl (be careful not to use a lot of water as paper is very absorbent and will want to fall apart if it gets very very wet. Paints will absorb into bowl a lot. If you find that you can't paint the bowl the way you want stop and cover bowl with gesso or glue then try painting again.
When done decorating make sure to seal your bowl and your done :)
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