This is how you can make your own paper at home (some adult supervision needed)
Materials Needed:
- Sheet of newspaper
- Metal coat hanger
- Old pair of nylon pantyhose
- Water
- Food Processor
- deep pan or wide bucket/tub deeper than 3 inches
- white glue (optional)
- First take the newspaper and tear it into long strips, then take the strips and tear them into small squares.
- Put the squares into the food processor, add on cup of water, if it gets too thick add more water. Put the lid on the food processor, lock it and turn it on. You will need to have it on for about 3 minutes for it to turn into paper gunk.
- Take the coat hanger and untwist it. (This is where adult supervision/assistance is helpful.) Once untwisted bend the hanger into a square frame twisting the ends together in the middle of a side not on corner. Tape down the ends.
- Cover the metal square frame you just made with the pantyhose, tie a knot on the ends to keep the pantyhose in place and cut off any extra. Save the extra for a later project or if you want to make another frame. You will
- Pour the paper gunk you made into your pan. Add water to the pan so that it is 3 inches deep. (This is when you can add 2 spoon fulls of glue.)
- Stir this mixture in the pan very well so that is smooth with no lumps. You may need to get your hands in this to really mix it.
- Next take your frame you made in Step 4 and carefully slide it flat along the side of the pan so that it is flat on the bottom. Then you have to lift the frame out very, very slowly, count to 20 as you lift so there will be enough paper on the nylon.
- When you get to the top let the water drip out for a full minute (60 Seconds).
- Set this out to dry in the Sun. You can hang it on a close line or set it on a rack. You must let it dry completely otherwise it will fall apart.
- When dry, peel the paper off the nylon very slowly.
- TADA!! You now have homemade paper!
To add a natural touch you can mix in flower petals to the mixture in Step 6 or put a pressed flower or leaf on top of the wet paper after you pulled it out and let it drip in Steps 7-8. To do the addition of the pressed flower put the frame with wet paper on a hard surface and gently press the item into the paper so it sticks then hang or set on a rack to dry.
Variation 2:
Plantable Paper - Do not use glue if making plantable paper. Sprinkle seeds on top of the wet paper after you have pulled it out and let drip in Steps 7-8 and gently press seeds into the wet paper. Let dry as in Step 9. You can use vegetable seeds or flower seeds, small ones work best. To plant the paper just tear into pieces and place in soil as if you were planting a seed, water and wait for it to grow.
