Making Recycled Paper

Tip: Making Paper from Shredded Paper

I shred a lot of documents and I reuse the paper by making my own paper.

Approximate Time:

Supplies:

• shredded or torn paper
• water
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• 2 plastic pans
• blender
• plastic canvas any size
• sponge
• pieces of white felt

Instructions:

1. Use a blender dedicated to just crafts. Fill the blender with paper. Fill with water. Blend until all the paper is just mush.
2. Pour into a large flat plastic pan. (An unused kitty litter pan is just the right size.)
3. Put the plastic canvas in the pan under the paper pulp. Lift out and set the covered canvas in the other pan and let drain.
4. Take the damp sponge and press the water out of the pulp.
5. Turn the canvas upside down so the pulp will come off in a sheet.
6. Dry. I usually set in front of a fan to speed drying.
7. When the paper is partially dry, you can use felt as layers between sheets and set a weight on top of stack of sheets to get a stronger paper.

Variations:

• You can add pieces of dried flowers, weeds, grasses, herbs, any thing into the pulp while in the blender. Blend the additions just a little if they are already small.
• I also like to separate different colors of paper white, blue, yellow, pink, etc.
• You can add a little liquid starch to pulp water to strengthen the paper.

By Nightsong from Hay Capitol of the World

Video: How To Recycle Paper

This video about making your own recycled paper is a wonderful DIY project that anyone can do at home.