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HANDMADE PAPER - REFASH your paper & fabric waste

We all consume a lot of paper, knowingly or not. Right from the physical bills of everything we buy to printing invoices for work. As per the Environmental Paper Network, The paper and pulp industry is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the manufacturing sector & 16% of landfill space is filled by paper products.

At an individual level, we can try to minimise our paper needs to only where its required and shift to digital resources. And with the paper you already have and is ready to get trashed? We have a fun DIY to make your own handmade papers with newspapers & fabric scraps. 

Making paper at home can be a pretty simple process. It’s also a fantastic way to use up your old receipts, scrap papers, junk mail, and copy paper that you were about to throw in the recycling bin, and instead decide to Refash it.

If you'd like to make your own, here is the guide: 

Materials:

  • Fabric scraps
  • Newspaper
  • Blender
  • Two picture frames with a flat side
  • Screen
  • Lots of towels
  • Iron

 

1. Trim fabric scraps very, very small. Used here are linen/rayon and cotton scraps.

 

2. Add a few scraps and water to the blender and blend them up until the scraps turn into a pulp consistency.
Tear up some newspapers, add them to the blender with more water and blend them together. 
(Note: Do small batches to prevent the breakage of the blender)
3. Pour the mixture into a large basin with lots of water.
       

 

4. Place a screen in between two picture frames and scoop out the pulp.

 

5. Place the paper face down on a towel and press out the excess water. Iron dry and set under something large and heavy so the paper flattens. 
At this point, you can either let the paper dry on the towel, or you can iron them dry. If you prefer to iron them, the imprint from the screen is smoothed out.

        

Enjoy your new handmade upcycled paper.
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Find more DIY ideas here. 
This DIY was originally published on Sarah Kristen's blog. 
- 
Photo Credits - Sarah Kristen.

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