Ideas for Handmade Paper

I started today off by finally finishing my crayon heart valentine's!  Yay, now I'm ready for tuesday, and I won't have to worry about it after work tomorrow!  

Now I want to get back to talking about handmade paper.  Today I want to focus on some idea's of simple things you can do with your paper.  

This first set of papers is a mix bunch.  The upper left paper isn't handmade, I included it because the paper below it is handmade and the effect used on it is a direct result of the paper above it.  I used a sheet of glass, rolled out blue ink, and laid four lace doilies down, and then the store bought paper.  I pressed the items together, and then peeled them apart.  I then reused the glass sheet without doing anything to it on a piece of handmade paper.  The same technique was used on the paper on the upper right corner with yellow paint.  In printmaking the second pull is called the ghost image.  The orange white paper was a happy accident!  In the past I used paper couching sheets to dry my paper, and when one of my sheets had reached the end of it's life it dried it's self to this lovely orange paper I had made.  I enjoy the color and texture of this paper, so I didn't reclaim it for other papermaking ventures.  Here is a close up of the four sheets:

The next four are examples of different way's of using small lace doilies.  The sheet in the upper left is the first pass of the glassed used in the previous group of papers' yellow sheet.  The lower two sheets I used string and yarn in the pulp mix.  The paper on the bottom right I used a mixture of different paint to fill in the doily and make it pop off the sheet a bit more.  

Here is a close up of the doily paper with blue string:

Here is a close up of the handmade paper with yarn and the doily I painted in:

On this set of handmade papers I used a large lace tablecloth to press the sheets against while they were drying.  I also used yarn in the pulp mix for these papers.  

This is a close up of my favorite paper:

That's all on papermaking for today!  I also started working on my DIY for Valentine's Day.  I hate to spend money on Valentine's Day, cause I think it's a made up holiday for the card and chocolate companies.  Plus I think it's a lot more heartfelt, if non of my gifts are store bought.  My gift is going to be 52 different date ideas.  I have a fun way to put it all together, but I'll talk about that tomorrow!  Happy DIYing!      -chris

Paper Drying

Onward with the papermaking!  Today I want to scratch the surface on drying techniques.  I want to talk about the simple act of drying your paper flat.  I'm not going to get into textures today, because that's a whole other barrel of monkeys.  

The most common way to dry paper is to layer your paper between several sheets of absorbent smooth towels or couching sheets, and then to top the whole thing off with some heavy books.  

This is what it will look like:  

Be careful of mold when doing this.  Definitely check on your paper every few hours, especially if you live in a humid climate.  In college we used plain newsprint as the absorbent layer.  Then sandwiched the newsprint and handmade paper between two large pieces of MDF with cinderblocks on top.  You could than recycle the newsprint into pulp!  

I've also let my paper partially air-dry, and help finish it by ironing the paper.  When using this technique, be sure to do it on a heat resistant hard surface.  A padded ironing board will be too squishy.  Here are the results:

Using a letter press is pretty fantastic.  Great results, but even higher risk of mold.  Plus not everyone owns one, and they aren't cheap.  I bought mine from Dick Blick, and I would totally recommend it.  I know there are some great DIY project on how to make your own press, but you don't need to be carpenter-handy at all to use this guy :).  

This is my new favorite technique.  None of my papermaking source suggest this, but I think it's positively fantastic.  Turn your oven on to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now place a piece of moist paper in the center of the largest cookie sheet you own.  Nesting cookie sheets that are sold as a set are perfect for this drying technique.  

Now carefully lay the smaller cookie sheet on top of your paper.  Make sure there is nothing on the bottom of this cookie sheet, and be sure to use one that has a smooth bottom.  If you use a sheet that has "made in Taiwan" stamped into the metal on the bottom, your paper will have that permanently embossed into it.  Stick it in the oven, and check on your paper every 15 minutes or so.  My thicker papers sat in the oven for up to an hour before it felt dry, and the thinner papers take half the time.  

Here is a comparison of air dried paper with a sheet of oven dried paper.  

Hope you all like, happy DIYing!

More on Paper Making- Pulp Innovations

Yesterday I introduced making paper.  Today I want to talk a little more about the different types of pulp you can make.  For a great book with fantastic papermaking recipes check out Mary Reimer & Heidi Reimer-Epp's Book 300 Papermaking Recipes.  Truly a great source for papermakers.  Besides the recipes they also have a few resources in a directory at the back of the book.  Websites and store locations, such as papermaking suppliers for things like pulp and papermaking tools.  Which leads me to one of the first materials I want to discuss.  

Semi-Processed Pulp:

You can buy paper pulp made out of abaca or cotton from online vendors.  I have never tried this technique before.  Mostly because I find it hard to spend money on pulp when I have TONS of things around the house that I could use for FREE!  Though by what I've read and have seen in photos the store-bought-pulp has a smoother finish and it will last longer.  Arnold Grummer has a fantastic website for papermaking supplies, if you want to check out prices on pulp.  

Recycled Paper:

This is my favorite, because I always seem to have junk paper around!  Plus this type of paper is stronger, and the pulp is easier to work with than a plant based pulp.  You can use just about any type of paper around the house, as long as it doesn't have a glossy sheen to it.  I've used junk mail, leftovers from paper crafting projects, tissue paper, shredded packing paper, you name it I've used it!  Here is how the paper from yesterday's crayon papers turned out:

This is the variation in my pulp for my seed starters:

The yellow cups' pulp was made of shredded junk mail, and it had some orange paper in it.  The one in the center is made from the crayon papers.  The grey cups are made from junk mail and black shredded packing paper.  

Plant Paper:

I really enjoy the results when making paper out of plants, but the pulp can be rather finicky.  You can use just about any plant. 

 I've used weeds from the garden, and onion skins.  The above photo is an example of both.  Sometimes mixing the organic material with a bit of shredded junk mail helps bind everything together, and tone down the plant color.  

When using plants for pulp it is best to cook them on the stove for a couple hours to break down the organic material.  Sometimes using an alkaline solution is needed to break down the material.  In this example I'm using a cabbage with just water.  

If you aren't able to use the plant to make paper at this time, you can freeze this and reheat it later.  

This is what the pulp will look like once it's been cooked, blended, and plenty of water added to thin the pulp out.  

This is what a sheet of it looks like wet.  It was easier to make this paper thick more like card stock, rather than thin like printer paper.    

Additives:

Another great trick is to add different things to your pulp to liven it up, especially if it's on the bland side.  Depending on the look you're going for you can add this while you are using the blender, or you can hand blend them in your papermaking tub.  

 I like to use brightly colored shredded paper for adding color, because you don't have to mess with dye.

Adding flower petals or dried leaves by hand can add a beautifully delicate touch.  

You can never go wrong with glitter.  Or you can also use confetti, maybe in heart shapes for Valentine's Day.  

Fabric dye or food coloring are great for papermaking!  You can bleach your pulp with a weak solution, and then add dye of any color.  

Tea bags, coffee beans, or fruit can naturally dye your paper beautifully as well.  

Just get creative!  If you can dream it up, try it out!  There is no limit to the possibilities when it comes to paper.  Tomorrow we will talk more about drying techniques.  Until then Happy DIYing!