Paper Making

Paper Making Students will learn the basic process of papermaking. The paper is made from recycled scraps of paper and each piece is as unique as the person who creates it.

Basic Supplies

Materials & Extras 1. Plastic dishpan (vat) 7. Food Coloring 2. Mould & Deckle (wooden frames) 8. Sparkles 3. Screens 9. Water 4. Kitchen blender (Pulp Mill). 10. Blender 5. Felt. 11. Leaves & Flowers 6. Egg Cartons (paper) 12. Paper scraps (linters)

Additives for Paper Embroidery or colored thread, dried ginko leaves, dried iris or gladiola leaves that have been boiled until they disintegrate, colored scrap paper from a print shop, construction paper, sesame seeds, dried rose petals, dried chrysanthemum petals

Procedures Put 4 inches of water into the dishpan (vat). Remove the deckle from the mould. Fill the blender (pulp mill) about 2/3 full of water. Gently place the mould, pulp side down, onto the felt. Slowly add small pieces of scrap paper (linters) to the blender. Carefully rock the mould back separating it from the pulp. Add the contents of the blender (pulp) to the water in the dishpan (vat). Place another felt over the pulp. Slowly dry the pulp with an iron (press). With the mesh side of the mould facing up, place the deckle on top. Paper dried under pressure is stronger, but it takes a long time. Drying it with an iron greatly speeds up the process and works well in classroom situations. Submerge the mould and deckle under the pulp. Slowly raise the mould and deckle to the top of the vat so that it is free of the water. Let the mould and deckle drain. A layer of pulp is now on the mould.

Cool Ideas!

Flowers Food Coloring String

Experiment with Variations To make paper with a different color on each side, make two different-colored sheets of paper and lay one on top of the first before placing the felt on top. Dip a string into a vat with slurry such as iris leaves (or ground up blue jeans); when you lift out the string, the slurry will hang from it. Lay that on top of a piece of paper before squeezing out water, and it become part of the paper. Lay small strips of scrap paper or string onto wet pulp before squeezing it. Add rose petals or other dried flowers to the sheet of paper before squeezing.

https://youtu.be/fyr24PgpDDs