I've been making paper at home for a few weeks and recently I stumbled upon your article, How to Make Home Made Paper You Can Plant. I was hoping you might be able to help with a few problems I've had with this:
How do I make the paper flat?
How do I make the paper thin?
Is there a way to do this so the paper can be folded?
Use a large container to mix your paper pulp in & don't add too much pulp {I use Egyptian cotton linters in rubbermaid containers and mix it with a paint mixer attached to a drill or even my handheld blender} then put your frame {with the screening} down under the paper & water and lift straight up, if it's too thick just dump it back in & practice lifting, deciding how far you need to put the screen down into the water to get the amount of paper you want.
You can also make a quick easy screen by using nylon screening and a plastic embroidery hoop, the kind with the screw tightener.
To make the paper very stiff you can add laundry starch to the water but know that once the starch is in the paper it won't be reusable so only add the amount you need.
You can also pour a plaster "bat" {just some plaster any size you like} and dry the paper on it, it will absorb the water faster and make the paper smooth, put another on the top and let it dry. You can also carve pix into the "bat" after it hardens and then throw your paper on it & push into the lines with a thick towel and let it dry, it won't stick when you pull it out and you can make some beautiful pix to give as cards or frame and hang.
I use iron on embroidery transfers {I can't draw a lick!} and then use nails, knives, files, pins or whatever to carve into the lines and make my pix.
Deckled edges are beautiful if you take a fork or cake cutter and pull the edges of the wet paper, stringing them out. I also use cookie cutters and various other things to make my paper, just put them on the screen before dipping into the paper and remove the excess afterwards.
Chelsea - what are you using to make your paper in? If you have an old picture frame, staple a piece of window screen to fit and pour the paper pulp into it, that's what makes it flat. Lay it out on an old piece of felt to dry, you can fold it before it is completely dry. Use more water than pulp, to make it thin.
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