Host Renai Ellison shows how easy it is to make handmade paper designs, then cast and mold them into great finished pieces of art.
Materials:
blender
water
raw-paper ingredients (Examples include torn phone-book pages, dryer lint, old clean paper towels, rice papers, paper-accent mixed petals and cotton linters.)
bucket or other container to hold slurry (the wet pulp mixture)
decorative rubber stamp
deckle (the frame that molds the slurry or pulp)
sponge
paper-making kit (or make your own)
paper-making frame (screened)
Steps:
- Fill a blender half full of water.
- Add the mixture of raw-paper ingredients.
- Blend slowly at first, then a little faster until slurry (the paper pulp) results. Pour the mixture into a bucket or large bowl.
- Place a decorative stamp in the center of the deckle, on top of the frame screen.
- Scoop out some of the slurry with a spoon, then pour it into the deckle (figure A). Cover the stamp entirely, filling the frame's edges.
- Lift the deckle off the screen.
- Begin blotting with a sponge and wringing out the water from the sponge. Repeat several times.
- Use blotting paper to continue removing water.
- Put the blotting paper on top again, then put your hand on top and flip the screen over.
- Remove the screen and put another piece of blotting paper on top. Remove the blotting paper, then the stamp (figure B).
- Let the paper dry in the sun.
- Frame and hang.
Tips
- Adding flower petals will add some lovely texture to the handmade paper.
- Use a variety of items to make paper molds, including flatware or other household items that will offer texture and generate visual interest.
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