Repurposing Old Paper

The kids and I took on another new craft project the other day. This time, we were inspired by the mess in their art room, which looked a lot like the aftermath of a tornado. As they cleaned up the disaster debris, I had them bag up a bazillion bits and pieces of scrap paper—everything from notebook paper to colored construction paper. No tape or staples were allowed, but marker or crayon were okay. Our goal was a recycling effort that would be lots more fun than taking their paper to the bins behind the elementary school. Instead, we intended to “repurpose” it, or make whole new sheets of paper from the old scraps. It turned out to be as fun for me as it was for the kids. I love the textured look and feel of handmade paper. It's great for cutting into cool shapes, layering in collages, painting, and creating homemade greeting cards. Here's how you do it:

1.Remove the backing and glass from an old wooden picture frame (5x7 or 8x10). Tack a piece of screen to one side of the frame, completely covering the opening. Or, you can slide a pantyhose leg around the frame, careful not to tear, and knot to secure it.

2.Separate your scrap paper into basic color groups (if you mix them, you'll get a brownish result), and tear big pieces into shreds.3.Put some shreds in a blender with a little water and blend until liquefied.

4.Keep blending more paper and water till the blender is full of thick pulp. For more intense color, add unsweetened Kool-Aid powder or food coloring.

5.Pour the pulp into a sink or bin that's ½ full of water, and stir.

6.Dip the frame into the sink, catch the floating pulp, and shake gently to distribute the pulp evenly over the screen or pantyhose.
7.Lift the frame full of pulp, keeping it horizontal, and lay it outside in the sun to dry. (Drying may take 2 days, depending on thickness of pulp and outdoor humidity).


8.When dry, gently peel the “brand new” paper from the picture frame. It's ready to use, just like that!