The Art of Making Paper
Issue #33
Use your household trash to make fresh canvases
By Mengly Taing
Published: September 1st, 2007 | 12:00am
Materials
• scrap paper such as newspapers, magazines, cardboard, phonebooks, egg cartons, or other waste material
• stapler
• photo frame
• wire mesh screen
• large plastic tub
• blender
• sponge
• towels
1. CREATE PULP: Rip paper into small pieces. You can experiment with different textures and colors. Place four cups of ripped pieces into blender. Add enough warm water to cover paper. Start blender slowly and increase speed until no large clumps remain.
2. MAKE A DECKLE FRAME: Frame will determine size of paper. Remove back and glass from photo frame. Stretch screen tightly over frame and staple around perimeter.
3. CREATE A SLURRY: Pour pulp into tub. Add water until tub is half full. The mixture of pulp and water is called a slurry. The more pulp you add, the thicker the paper will be. If the paper is too thin, make another batch of pulp and add it to the slurry. Stir mixture until desired consistency is reached. Optional: Add liquid starch to prevent ink from soaking through finished paper.
4. LEVEL OUT THE SLURRY: Place the frame into the tub with screen facing up. The slurry will rise above the screen. Level out slurry while the frame is submerged. Use your hands to drop slurry directly onto the screen. Avoid touching the pulp once it is on the frame. Optional: Add confetti, glitter, dried flowers, or food coloring.
5. DRAIN THE WATER: Lift frame above water to drain excess water. When the frame stops dripping, gently place the towel over the sheet. Flip the frame over so that it is directly face down on the towel. Use a sponge to soak up excess water through the back of the screen.
6. COUCHING: Remove paper from frame while holding onto the towel. This act of transferring the paper from the frame to the towel is referred to as couching. Be careful not to pull too fast or paper may tear. Lay paper flat on towel. After a few hours, when paper is dry, remove paper from towel.
Repeat the six steps for additional sheets of paper. Leftover pulp can be placed in a plastic bag and left in the freezer for future use. Do not pour the pulp down the drain.
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