papermaking tutorial

hello! here it is, my papermaking tutorial : ) i'll first show you how to construct a mould & deckle for papermaking & then i'll show you how to use it to make paper!

the mould & deckle
what you need:
sisscors
staple gun
two wooden frames that are the same size with the backings taken out (i got mine from the thrift store for cheap!)
screen (like for screen doors)
1. cut a piece of screen that is a little bigger than your frame. staple the screen tightly around one of the frames like shown. trim the excess screen.2. the other fram lays on top of the frame with the screen. & there you have it! you have constructed a mould & deckle for paper making.making paper
what you need:
newspaper or felt (for drying the paper on)
mould & deckle
sponge
blender
different types & colors of paper (not glossy magazine paper though)
large, shallow tub full of water
water
1. decide what color paper you want to make & tear up paper into the blender accordingly. i decided to make purple paper, so i tore blue & red paper.2. fill the blender with water. i did one cup of water for every two pages of paper. but you just need enough water so it mixes & cuts the paper well into pulp.3. blend the paper & water until it has a nice consistancy like below.4. pour the blended paper & water into the large tub of water. stir until well mixed. dip the mould & deckle into the tub at an angle & then level out to catch some paper pulp into it. (remember, the screen frame is on the bottom & the other fram is on top for the mould & deckle)5. let the mould & deckle drip as much water as possible. take off the top frame.6. lay the screen frame upside down on the newspaper or felt. sponge up all the excess water from behind the screen. you will have to do this a few times until most of the water is gone.7. gently lift the screen frame up. hopefully the paper will stay down on the newspaper or felt. if it starts to stick to the screen, you should try to sponge more water up before you lift the screen.8. lay out the newly made paper on the newspaper or felt out in the sun to dry.9. when the paper is dry, gently peel the paper from the newspaper or felt. & you did it! you have made paper! you can experiment with adding more colors to your tub of water or even plant pieces or glitter!
i hope you enjoyed my tutorial : ) i hope everything was clear. if you have any questions, you can ask in the comments.