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Bev's Quick and Dirty Guide to Papermaking |
| Optional: Embroidery hoop STEP ONE: Making molds Molds can be made in many ways. Several simple versions are described below. Small screen molds: Cut 2 1"x2" wood pieces 6" long, and 2 8" long. Take one short piece & one long piece, and nail together at a right angle; repeat with the other pair. Join together two pieces to make a rectangle and nail at corners. Staple at joints. Cut a piece of fiberglass screen 7"x9" and staple to wood frame, stretching taut. Put duct tape around the edges of the frame. This will make sheets 5"x7". (If you want your molds to last longer and not to warp, waterproof the wood with Varathane or some other water sealant before starting). An even simpler version of this is to cut a piece of aluminum screen about 1" larger than the size of the paper you plan to make. Cover the edges of the screen with duct tape by placing the tape at the edge of the screen and pressing the tape around both sides of the screen. Other molds may be created by cutting screens in a variety of shapes for use in laminating images on paper. Embroidery hoop molds: Choose an embroidery hoop the same size that you want the mold. Cut a piece of fiberglass window screen about an inch larger than the plastic hoop. Stretch the screen over the hoop, secure it as you would with fabric, and it's done. Embroidery hoop molds are especially handy for couching on to 3-dimensional object such as bowls. When making a mold for this purpose, do not stretch taut, but leave some slack, so that it dips in the middle, and will more easily conform to the shape of the bowl. STEP TWO: Making pulp Recycling method: Colored paper, such as construction paper, can be divided into separate colors, eliminating the need to color the pulp later. When choosing paper to recycle, remember that the quality of the recycled paper determines the quality of the finished paper, i.e. "garbage in, garbage out." Starting with newspaper means that the finished paper will have the quality of newsprint. Avoid shiny papers, which are designed to not break down when wet. Scratch method: Personally, I like to use pure fibers, like cotton, abaca (banana leaf fiber), flax, etc., either alone or with recycled papers whenever possible. The texture of the paper is so much nicer. Cotton linters are available as 'half stuff' (compressed processed 100% rag paper) and come in big sheets that weigh about 1 lb. each for about $3/sheet. One sheet of this will keep you busy for a long time because it's so dense! You can even get blue jean half stuff. For both methods: Soak the papers overnight in a bucket. This is not absolutely necessary, if you're in a hurry, but soak them for at least half an hour before pulping. Generally, the heavier the paper, the longer it needs to soak. This will make the paper easier to tear up into small pieces (approximately 1" square) when you're ready to use it. |
| BASIC SUPPLIES Blender Vat (dishpan or other container for pulp) Fiberglass or aluminum window screening Coloring (food color, tempera paint, acrylic paint, watercolors, procion or RIT dyes, aqueous-dispersed pigments.) Duct tape 1"x 2" wood pieces Couch sheets (wool felt is traditionally used, but almost any fabric, including sheets or towels will do. For convenience's sake, we'll be using the back of used xerox paper.) Nails Staple gun Newspapers -- helps eliminate water spills on the floor Paper (either recycled or purchased,i.e. cotton linters, abaca, etc.) |
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