How to Make Recycled Paper from Scratch

Hi there! Today I’m going to show a fun project you can do at home by making recycled paper from scratch.

Watch a video tutorial on how it’s made:

Materials you will need:

Scrap papers like newspaper, paper cuttings, old notebook papers etc.
Blender (preferably old one)
Mold and Deckle ( You can DIY this using old picture frame, plastic or metal screen, and a thumb tacks)
Bucket that can fit the mold and deckle
Water
Towel
Sponge
A place to dry off the paper like a cardboard box, or just even a wide table

Let’s begin.

Step 1: Preparing the paper pulp.

Shred the paper into small pieces by hand, preferably into 1-inch size. You can also use a paper shredder to make the process a lot quicker.

Soak the paper overnight, this will help make the paper a lot easier to blend later on.

Use a blender to blend the soaked paper. Do it in small batches. Blend the paper thoroughly until there’s no more chunks of paper.

If you don’t have a blender you can put the soaked paper into a bottle or container with water and shake it vigorously. I found this TikTok video which demonstrates how it’s done.

@nevermindlisa
Reply to @puffshroomkih Here is another option to make paper! ❤️ #papermaking #recycledpaper #ecofriendly #crafttok #diy
♬ animal crossing ~ new horizons lofi – Closed on Sunday

Step 2: Molding the Paper Pulp

Prepare your bucket with a few cups of paper pulp then add some water to it until you see the pulp is floating through the water.

At this point you can customize your paper by adding colors, ornaments and scent. Use acrylic paint to add color to your paper. Add dried flowers or tiny cuttings of newspaper to add design to your paper. For the scent, use essential oil or your favorite perfume to the paper once it’s being dried.

It’s time to mold the paper. Dip the mold and deckle to the bucket and try to strain out the pulp, wiggle the mold side by side to create a uniform thickness.

Once you’re satisfied with how the paper looks, remove the deckle then tilt the mold to let the excess water drip off.

Step 3: Drying the Recycled Paper

Pressed down the mold in a towel, use the sponge to remove more of the excess water.

Slowly lift the mold leaving the paper in the towel. Sometimes the paper will get stuck to the mold, when that happens you can try flicking the mold screen to help release the paper.

Transfer the paper onto a surface where you want it to dry. Lift the entire towel and place it down.. pressed it again to release the paper. In my case, I just use a cardboard box to lay the paper to dry.

Placing the paper under the sun will help speed up the drying process. Letting it dry in a room will take overnight or more depending on how thick the paper is.