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| Hand made paper |
| It's fun to make your own paper and it's reasonably easy to do. You can use several kinds of paper waste to get to a nice result. Hand made paper can be used for many purposes I'll give you some examples of what you can make. Paper waste The paper you require
could be anything like computer paper, tax envelopes, paper napkins and
egg boxes etc. Don't use glossy paper because it is difficult to dissolve
in water. Mix the paper with cotton pulp to get a firmer texture of the
paper. Cotton pulp should be obtained from specialist suppliers. If you
use hand made paper for writing mix the pulp with wallpaper glue else
you cannot write on it. If necessary you can glue the paper later on. Don't use crepe
paper the color is coming off and it makes the pulp very messy. Experiment
with different kind of paper and choose for yourself, which paper and
colors you like best.
Tear the paper waste into little pieces and put it into water. Let it soak in hot water for one night. If you're not that patient you can cook the paper waste for half an hour. Put some soda in the water it makes the paper smooth. Blend the pulp in little quantities in a blender just for a little while such that you still can see the paper texture. (See photographs) Use a lot of water in the blender and less pulp.
Pour the pulp in a
container and stir it with a spoon so it will be mixed very well. Scoop
the pulp out of the water with a sieve and let the water out (See photograph
above). Turn over the sieve and put the pulp on a thick cloth, cover it
with another cloth. Press the paper very hard between the cloths to get the water out as much as possible. It is easer to press several layers of cloth and paper at the same time. When most of the water is out hang the paper and let it dry. When you want to make paper with relief only make one at the time and don't press it together with other paper. You can use all kind
of materials for decoration such as cotton, little pieces of fabric, seeds,
tissue paper, hair and paperclips etc. You can mix the decoration with
the pulp in the container or put it in the pulp later on. If there is
any pulp left store it in the freezer for a next time. Don't dispose the
pulp into the sink as it will plug. You can make postcards, Christmas
greetings, vases, party invitations or other objects (See photographs). The photograph on the right shows you a shell. The paper pulp is pressed on the shell and left to dry. If you varnish the object you can use it as a snack bowl. The possibilities are endless. |
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It is a handiness to evenly spread the pulp on the sieve and flick the
sieve placing the paper on the cloth. Press the layers of paper and cloths
between two pieces of wood and apply weight by standing on it.