Ecoplanet NZ

Making paper is almost the easiest thing Ive done. admittedly, it comes down to modern tools to assist.

The tools required include:

• A frame covered in a porous screen or mesh. typically a little larger than your desired paper size.
• Blender
• large container or bin capable of submerging the frame
• felt squares or canvas

The Process

1. Gather your materials- in this case I am using 100% used printer paper. Personally I don't like too much color in my recycled paper so I tend to stick to the black & white printed bits.  tear it up into small bits no bigger than 1" square. introduce them to the blender with a small amount of water.
2. Blend until it looks & feels like mush, once this has been done tip it into the large bin
3. Keep going until you have enough in the bin. add water until you reach a suitable consistency. The consistence I find is a personal one as the skimming technique used by people  defines the thickness of the mix. some people like it thick, other thin. I find if its too thick, the thickness of the paper comes out too thick for me.
4. once you have reached a suitable consistency, grab your frame and skim it through the mix and attempt to capture an even coat of the pulp on the frame. be warned, this can take some practice.
5. Place the frame off to one side and wait for the excess water to drain. basically wait till it stops dripping.
6. Take one of your felt squares and place it on top of the screen. New paper side to the felt.
7. VERY carefully turn it over so you can attempt to separate the new paper from the screen. this can be a bit tricky.
8. Once this is done, place another felt onto the top of the new paper.
9. Typically, I stack mine to get the best use out of the felt. Once you feel the stack is high enough, place a board on top & apply a significant amount of weight. this is to assist with the water extraction.
10. After a couple of hours, you should be able to remove the paper from between the felts and place somewhere to dry. some people suggest the clothesline, however I don't like peg marks in my nice new paper.
11. The paper can be ironed, pressed or rolled if you desire a smooth surface. one option is to separate each piece of paper by thin plastic and apply weight. the smooth surface of the plastic assists with a smooth surface.
12. Trimming is also an option if smooth edges are desired.