Children must be assisted by a parent or guardian for this art activity!
Tools and Materials Needed:
1. Common kitchen blender
2. Deep plastic tub (paper vat)
3. Wooden Frame (old picture frame)
4. Window screen (from the hardware store)
5. Water
6. Several Newspapers
7. 'Old' shredded paper from the office
8.Old construction paper (for color) and old copy paper
9. Paper towels
10. Steeple gun and steeples or a hammer and small tacks.
You may also add dried flowers, candle scents, cut-out images, photos, letters.
You will need to create the 'frame and deckle' before you start your project.
The frame and deckle is made from the old picture frame and the window screen.
Stretch the window screen tight over the picture frame and secure it around the edges with steeples or small tacks.
Making the Paper
Step 1: Set up the blender, deep plastic tub, and several newspapers on a sturdy table.
Step 2: Tear up the intended paper, first into strips and then into little squares. ( If the paper is shredded, cut the strips into pieces so it will not wrap around the blender blades.)
Step 3: Put a small amount of the dry paper into the blender and add a lot of water. ( 1 to 2 ratio)
Step 4: Try several speeds on the blender, first starting with, (Chop), until the desired consistency.
Note: If you blend the paper pulp to a very creamy consistency, the result will be a smooth sheet of paper. If you grate the paper pulp, you will be able to see the paper pieces and the sheet of paper will have a texture surface.
Step 5: Add pieces of construction paper for color.
Note- construction paper colors will blend and mix just like paint!
Example: yellow and blue paper blended together will create green
Step 6: Pour the pulp into the plastic tub (paper vat)
Step 7: Stir the pulp and water together, (add dried flowers or other desired items)
Step 8: With two hands, holding the opposite sides of the frame and deckle, slide the frame and deckle down the inside edge of the paper vat under the floating paper pulp raising it up gently capturing the pulp on the top of the frame.
Step 9: Move over to the stack of newspapers, place a sheet of copy paper on the wet newly formed sheet of paper.
Step 10: Place newspapers on top of the sheet of copy paper, hold tightly and flip frame and deckle, sheet of copy paper, and newspaper over.
Step 11: At this point you are trying to remove as much water as possible from the newly formed sheet of paper.
Use old newspapers to absorb the excess water, or paper towels.
After several minutes of pressing and absorbing water, gentle raise the frame and deckle, shake slightly and
the newly created sheet of paper from the screen (frame and deckle)
Step 12: Let the new sheet of paper dry for several hours.
Congratulations!!! You have Created a Sheet Of Paper!
You may write on it, draw on it, stamp images on it, cut it, make a picture frame from it..... the uses are endless!!!
