Have you ever visited a real art supply store? Not Jo Anns or Michaels, but a real art store. Ohhh, you don’t know what you are missing. Looking at all the different kinds of pencils, paints and paper. Drawing paper, different weights of watercolor paper, and all the hand made papers. They are kept in a cabinet with wide shallow drawers. Some are sheer, some have fibers in them, many colors and weights. All are interesting and beautiful!

Today we made our own handmade paper. I love the results of handmade papers but not so much the process. At least not so much with kids. So be forewarned this is a messy project that takes a long time. So if all my negative comments haven’t sent you clicking elsewhere yet….read on.

What you will need: a large stack of newspapers, shredded paper or ripped up paper, crepe paper or tissue paper (for coloring your sheets of paper) blender, dish pan or tubbie, water, screen, sponges or rags, small cup, flowers, seeds, grasses fibers…

My husband made me these screens a long time ago. Basically they are a frame made out of wood with a screen stapled over the top-in various sizes.

fill your blender 1/2 to 2/3 full with shredded paper and a bit of tissue paper. Add some water not enough to cover and blend well for 10 seconds.

pour slurry into dishpan. add some water. you may want to blend up a second pitcher to add to dishpan.

There are many different ways to make paper but this is the way that works well for us. Place screen-screen side side up-in the dishpan. Use small cup to scoop slurry and pour evenly to cover the screen.

Once you have evenly covered your screen (trial and error for the thickness) now is the time to add leaves, flower petals, seeds or anything else you plan to decorate your papers with.

now carefully flip the screen over so paper lands on stack of newspaper

use sponge and rags to push on screen inside of frame to absorb water-squeeze out and dry out more. Continue this process until you can’t dry up anymore water.

carefully peel screen back, leaving paper on the newspaper stack. You may need to flick on inside of screen to get the paper to release from screen.

cover with more newspaper and add the next sheet of handmade paper to next layer of newspaper.

Leave the paper on the newspaper to dry then peel off your handmade paper.

When you get to the almost end of slurry in the dishpan and you want to change colors you can just slowly pour dishpan over screen to make a final piece of a certain color. Then start process over with another color.

If you add seeds to your paper you can give them away with a little note written on them-Plant me! I had planned to do this closer to Mothers Day to give away as gifts but it is still early enough around these parts to plant flower seeds.

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