| Handmade Paper |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-201 |
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Q: I can't remember everything I need to do to make paper. Can Debbie help me? A: (Debbie Stapely, Ask DIY Crafts Expert) Sure I can. This is a particularly fun project to do with kids, and if you have scrap paper and a blender, you're halfway there. Here's how to proceed: Materials: Enough matte paper scraps to fill half a blender
Blender
Mold and deckle purchased at craft store
Kitchen sponge
Several pieces of blotting paper
Note: It's not a good idea to use your good kitchen blender for crafts projects. Yard sales are a great place to find inexpensive blenders that you can use only for crafts. - Fill a blender about halfway with water, then add scraps of paper torn into small bits (about the size of a postage stamp). You can even buy paper for this purpose at a craft store. But use only matte, not glossy, paper (insert cards from magazines are perfect). Dryer lint from all-cotton loads of laundry also works. If you want a certain color, put in some colored paper scraps, but be careful which colors you mix -- you could end up with brown or gray.
Working smarter: Buy acid neutralizer from the craft store, and add a teaspoon of calcium carbonate to the mix so you can make paper suitable for photos and valuable mementos. This acid neutralizer mixture will give the paper a neutral pH, which will last a very long time without having any effects. - Blend the water and scraps for a few minutes, until they're the approximate consistency of toddler food or a frozen slushy.
- Place the mold over a basin, and then pour the blended slush onto the top of the mold (figure A), spreading it in an even layer with an ordinary kitchen sponge.
- Use a sponge to press out as much of the water as you can, over a basin to catch the excess (figure B). This will take a few minutes, and the paper pulp may try to stick to the sponge on the first few presses.
- When the pulp is still a bit wet and has a little "play" to it, sprinkle any extra materials, such as glitter or dried flowers, across the surface. Then press them into the surface with a sponge, going over the entire surface and pressing the rest of the water out at the same time.
- Place a piece of blotter paper on top of the pulp and press it down. Then upend the mold so that the pulp sheet comes out on top of the blotter paper (figure C).
- Put a blotter sheet on top of the pulp sheet, and press over it with a clean sponge to absorb excess moisture (figure D). Keep switching to new blotter sheets until no more moisture comes off of the pulp sheet.
- Let the sheet dry on a line or on the table. It will be thick and irregular. If you don't like its uneven surface (which adds to its homemade charm), iron it between two pieces of kraft paper on a medium setting.
More questions for Debbie: Q: Do you have any ideas for making a simple paper-embossing design that I can use? A: You can bring any design to a copy shop and have it turned into a rubber stamp. Then use embossing powder and a heat gun to emboss anything you wish. Q: Once the handmade paper is dry, what is the best way to apply it to a surface? A: Use spray-on adhesive. Q: Where can I find number-10 needles for very fine sewing and size-100 or -150 thread? A: If you've already tried craft and sewing stores, try a place that sells or repairs sewing machines. Web site resources for Handmade Papers: Paper Making from DIYNet.Com Marbelizing Paper from DIYNet.Com Homemade Decorative Paper from HGTV.Com Handmade Art Paper from Rubber Stamp Clubs.Com Book: Making and Decorating Your Own Paper: Innovative Techniques and Original Projects
By Kathy Blake with Bill Milne
ISBN: 0806905441
Sterling Publishing (1994)
387 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-532-7160
Fax: 212-213-2495
Customer Service Phone: 800-367-9692
E-Mail: webmaster@sterlingpub.com
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