Easy Handmade Paper Using Paper Scraps

ByJill Lipscomb June 15, 2021June 15, 2021

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Hello! This post is a little different from my normal card making post. We’re making paper!! Really! We’re using those piles of paper scraps to make our own beautiful paper. And we’re using simple things to do it. You don’t need anything fancy.

I filmed this in my kitchen and in portrait so I could get everything in frame without the distraction of my animals walking around too. HAHAHA!

What do you need?

Everything you need for this project can be purchased at your local Dollar Store or you might already have them on hand. The screen to press the wet paper slurry is the most important part however you don’t need to have anything fancy. You just need some screen with a small weave screen in it. Splatter shields from the Dollar Store work great. And they have a handle. But here’s a complete list of what you’ll need.

Paper scraps
A blender
Several hand towels
Sponges
2 Splatter shields (you know those things you put over frying pans to keep grease from going everywhere)
A dish pan or some other type of container big enough to pour your mixture into and get your splatter shield into
And water
Optional heat tool

I didn’t have a dish pan and couldn’t find one big enough at the dollar store so I pulled a drawer out of my plastic 12″x12″ bin. It’s deep enough and worked perfectly for what I needed it for. Get creative in this process!

Steps to Making Paper

Gather your paper scraps. Don’t mix too many colors together unless you want brown paper.
Tear the paper into pieces about 1″ x 1″. About 2 handfuls of paper pieces.
Put the pieces into the blender and add water. For higher quality papers use hot water. Let it set for 15 to 30 minutes.
Blend the paper and water on pulse until it looks like really wet oatmeal.
Pour the mixture into the dish pan (or other container). Add some additional water to thin the mixture.
Sink the screen to the bottom of the container and use your other hand to swirl the mixture on top of the screen.
Bring the screen up and check to see how even the pulp is on the screen. Repeat this process until you’re happy with the thickness of the pulp on the screen.
Move the screen with the pulp over to your towels. Press the other screen on top of the pulp and use a damp sponge to press the water out of the paper pulp.
The sheet will be VERY delicate. Break any fibers away from the edge with your finger by pushing it in towards the screen. You can either sit the screen aside and allow it dry but that will take a while. Or you can get your heat tool and dry it enough to remove the sheet and set it aside.
Repeat until you’re done or tired or both.