Paper Making with My Girls

Before the summer holidays started, my children and I wrote a list of all the activities we would like to do in those six weeks. This included a different craft every week. This week it was the turn of paper making.

Many years ago I had seen a demonstration, and bought the kit, of how to make simple paper. I have used the kit many a time with various youth groups and children's art groups I have helped run, and of course myself for use with art and craft projects. My children, aged 5 and 2 have never seen me or helped me do it before.

The kit is very simple. Basically two wooden frames and a piece of wire mesh. Also A4 sheets of thick (but flexible) glossy plastic.

This along with a washing up bowl and a blender are the main equipment needed.

I also had ready a folded towel and chopping board - but I will come to that later!

The concept is pretty simple. We collected some scrap paper (with not too much print on) from the week before and soaked it in a bowl of water overnight. It is best to rip the paper in to smallish pieces.

We put a couple of handfuls of this soaked paper in the blender and filled it half way with water.

We then blended it until the mixture becomes a pulpy consistency. We had put some pink scrap paper in our mix, hence the purply/pink colour.



Tip this pulp mixture into the washing up bowl and top up with plenty of water. At this stage you can add any extras you like. Glitter, threads sequins etc. We added some cut up sparkly cellophane threads I had.

Now with the help of my trusty demonstrator, who was adamant that at two and a half, 'I can do it on my own mummy!'. Here is what you do:



1. Hold the sides of the frames together with             2. Slowly lift the frame out of the water and
the gauze sandwiched in the middle.                         it will catch the pulp on the gauze's surface.

 

3. Let the excess water drip off the frame.

 

 4. Put the whole frame down and lift off

the top frame only. Carefully lift the gauze and place it on top of a folded towel on the ground.







 5. Place one of the plastic sheets on top of the gauze. Place the chopping board on top of that and then stand on everything! This squeezes out the access water and enables the pulp to stick to the plastic sheet.

 

6. Remove the board, list the plastic sheet and the pulp should now be stuck onto it. Leave to dry out and then your sheet of paper should easily peel off.

 

  

 Here is our finished paper!

 

The girls really enjoyed this craft activity and can really get hands on with it.

The only part that needs an adult to do is the blending. At their age they

keep away from the blender - they don't like the noise of it anyway!

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Jx