Basket Variation
These charming little baskets are made in the same way as the bowls, with just a few differences.
Additional Materials
The example was made with a stemless wine glass as the mold
Bits of yarn, feathers, or other embellishments (optional)
Punched out paper flowers (optional)
½″-wide strips of chipboard or scrap cardboard (such as cereal boxes) for handles
Scrapbooking brads
Instructions
1. Follow the same steps as for the bowl, with one exception. If you want embedded materials, such as the feathers, on the outside of the bowl, lay them on the screen before you pour your pulp. If you want them on the inside, like the yarn in the yellow bowl, press them into the pulp after you pour it and before shaping the pulp onto the mold.
2. When the casting is completely dry and removed from the mold, attach any dry embellishments, such as the flower shapes. Brads work well for this, keeping the attachments secure and three-dimensional.
3. Cut the cardboard strips to the length you like for handles. Use a pencil to mark opposite sides of the basket where you want to attach the handles. Use brads to press holes through the basket and then through each end of the cardboard strip, and bend the ends open to secure.
Tiger Mask
This project is sure to be a hit any time of year. With variations on the ears, this mask can be converted to just about any animal of choice.
Materials
Papermaking supplies (see page 25), including two papermaking screens (use flexible window screen for good drainage)
Enough pulp to cover your mold (orange, white, and black)
Plastic face mask with no embellishments, to use as a mold
Vegetable oil for a release agent (spray or apply with a paper towel)
Round molds, such as tin cans (small, medium, and large, for the eyes and mouth)
Tweezers (optional)
Six pieces of wire for whiskers
Small sharp utility knife or sharp pointed scissors
Hole punch
Strip of ½″ elastic or ribbon, long enough to hold the mask in place
Instructions
1. Set up the papermaking screen and support screen over a tray or other container for drainage.
2. Using orange pulp, pour shapes for the main part of mask and two ears.
3. Place another papermaking screen on top of the pulp and blot with a sponge, but do not flatten completely as you normally would. Leave it a little bit wet, so the pulp is still moldable. Remove the top screen.
4. Coat the outside of the face mask mold with vegetable oil.
5. Use the papermaking screen to lift the orange pulp, turn it over, and place it carefully over the top of the greased mold. Use the second papermaking screen to replace the one you lifted, and set the mask on top of it. Carefully push pulp around with your hands, so that it molds to the shape of the plastic mask, but do not press out all water in the process. Layer the ear shapes on to the sides of the orange base color.
6. Use white pulp to pour white circles — two medium and one large — for the eyes and mouth area. In the same way as the orange pulp, blot and layer the white circles onto the mask mold. Position them carefully and release them from the screen by blotting with a wet sponge.
7. In the same way, use black pulp to pour two small circles for eyes. Blot and layer them onto the mask.
8. Add eyelashes and whisker dots by rolling up pieces of pulp and layering them on to the mask (or use pin-drawing technique, page 94). You may want to use tweezers to move the small bits around.
9. On the papermaking screen, form three triangles in black pulp for each side of the mask. Blot, lift, and layer them in place.
10. Using the screen and a sponge, work your way around the mold, pressing and blotting. Don’t press too hard, or the paper may slip on the greasy surface.
11. Once the shape seems secure and less wet, allow it to air dry. When completely dry, release it from the mold.
12. Press the wires into the mask for whiskers.
13. Use a utility knife or scissors to cut out eye holes in the black circles.
14. Punch a hole on both sides of the mask, below the ears. Thread the elastic through the holes, adjust for size, and tie the ends on both sides of the mask. Or if using ribbon, attach two strips, one on each side, and tie the ends to fit at the back. Put on the mask and grrrrowl!
Fish Bowl
This project uses the self-bonding technique, so there is no need to press or iron dry the fiber fish. A medium-sized plastic bowl makes the best mold, since it is flexible, though metal or glass bowls also will work. You will need to make 20 to 40 handmade paper fish, depending on the size of the bowl you have chosen. You will be using the outside of the bowl as the mold, not the inside. Avoid bowls with prominent rims at the base.
Materials
Six different-colored 8½″ × 11″ papers
Papermaking supplies (see page 25)
Six containers (32 oz. size or greater)
Bowl: choose an eye-pleasing shape (this bowl was 4″ tall with a 10″ diameter)
Clear kitchen plastic wrap
Fish-shaped cookie cutter
Cake pan or tray
Turkey baster
Paper towels
Paintbrush (optional)
Decoupage glue (optional)
Instructions
1. Find wastepaper in six colors you like. For each color of pulp, you will need to recycle an 8½″ × 11″ sized paper sheet. You can mix and match pieces of similarly hued paper to recycle, but the surface area should roughly add up to this.
2. Tear and blend your first color of pulp in the blender with 4 cups of water. Pour the pulp and all of the water into your first container.
3. Repeat step 2 for the remaining five papers, so you have six colors of pulp in your containers.
4. Place your bowl upside down on your work surface and cover the outside of the bowl with clear kitchen plastic wrap. Try to wrap the bowl smoothly, as the wrinkles in the plastic could show up as texture on the inside of your finished fish bowl. Allow several inches of plastic to hang off the rim to make removal of your finished paper bowl easier.
5. Begin making paper fish by placing a papermaking screen on top of your drain rack in a tray. Place the fish-shaped cookie cutter on top of the screen. Depending on the size of your cookie cutter, you may be able to fit two to three fish on a single screen.
6. Use the turkey baster to suction pulp out of one of your containers and then squirt the pulp into the fish cookie cutter. If the cookie cutter is moving around, use your free hand to hold it in place. Fill the cookie cutter ⅛″ deep with pulp.
7. Remove the cookie cutter by pulling straight up. Try not to smear the pulp or decapitate your fish! If there is room on your papermaking screen, create two to three more fish by repeating steps 5 and 6. If you want a contrasting color for the bottom of the bowl, make a circle of pulp to fit.
8. Place the cover screen on top of the fish on the papermaking screen. Use a damp sponge to remove as much water as possible, until the fish peel up easily. Use a paper towel to remove additional water, if necessary.
9. Peel your handmade fish off of the papermaking screen and place the wet paper fish (and the contrasting circle shape, if desired) on the plastic wrap covering the bowl.
10. Repeat steps 6 through 9, overlapping fish and allowing them to point in all directions. Gently press the wet fibers of overlapping fish together with your fingers. Continue until the outside of the bowl is covered with at least two layers of overlapping fish. You can leave several fins or fish lips sticking out along the rim of the bowl for a nice effect. Periodically empty the tray under your draining rack.
11. Let your bowl air dry two to three days (longer in very humid climates), until it is entirely dry. The colors may become less vibrant as the water evaporates from your paper, but as the water is removed, the bonds bet
ween your paper bowl’s fibers become stronger and stronger.
12. Pull up on the plastic wrap gently to free your fully dried fish bowl. If you used a plastic bowl for a mold, squeeze the sides of your plastic bowl and have a friend help by pulling on the plastic wrap.
13. Optional: Use a paintbrush and decoupage glue to preserve your bowl. Since the bowl is made of paper, if it gets wet, it could turn back into pulp or lose its shape. The glaze protects your bowl over time. Apply one coat and let dry overnight. Apply an additional coat the next day, if desired.
Chapter 8 Making Things with Paper
Once you’re hooked on the process of papermaking, you’ll no doubt be making sheet after sheet from all kinds of interesting materials. What to do with all that handmade paper? The possibilities are endless, as you’ll find with the beautiful projects presented in this chapter. Give your one-of-a-kind creations as gifts or keep them for personal use as home décor, jewelry, or scrapbooking elements.
Bookmarks
A bookmark made of paper and words: How appropriate is that? As an added bonus, it clips to your page, so you aren’t losing your spot if the pages of your book fall open. The paper shown was made with the mottled surface technique (see page 62), using old crossword puzzle pages and tissue paper.
Materials
1¼″ × 5″ paper strip (per bookmark)
Scoring tool (bone folder)
Needle and thread
⅛″-wide double-sided tape
Large-sized paper clip
Several handmade paper scraps
Paper punches (we used a small “burst,” medium flower, and simple circle)
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks or white glue
Rubber alphabet stamps and ink pad(s)
Instructions
1. Use the scoring tool to mark lines on a strip of paper, across its long side (or width), approximately ⅛″ apart. Note: It’s important to score handmade paper before folding, because otherwise it may crack or fold poorly.
2. Make accordion folds along the scored lines.
3. Thread a needle, make a knot, and pierce the middle of folded strip. Pull the thread through, tie a knot, and cut the thread.
Bone Folder
This handy tool, commonly used in bookbinding, is about the size and shape of a letter opener. In a process called scoring, a bone folder is used to make a creased line in paper, to make it easier to fold. Is a bone folder really made of bone? They used to be, and some still are, but they are now more likely to be made of plastic.
4. Open up both ends of the folded stack like a fan. Make a circle by using double-sided tape to attach the folded edges.
5. Position one end of a paper clip on the back of the pleated circle. Secure it with double-sided tape, covered with a flat paper circle that is a bit smaller than the pleated circle.
6. Use paper punches and scrap paper to create decorative shapes or cut them freehand with scissors.
7. Decorate the front by gluing on punched-out shapes and/or stamping with a word or image.
Mini Circular Cards
These cute little cards make great gift enclosures. The tops were made with flower-punched origami paper embedded on the surface (see page 64). The paper attached with ribbon is plain and simple, for writing on. Another idea: Make shaped cards using cookie cutters.
Materials
Two handmade paper circles (per card), your choice of size
Standard hole punch
Scraps of ⅛″-wide ribbon
Instructions
1. Match up two paper circles and use standard hole punch to create hole on the left side through both cards. Note: If you’re using plain paper circles without embedded decoration, feel free to cut and glue other paper shapes on the top paper circle.
2. Thread the ribbon through both holes, from back to front, and tie the ends together on top.
Paper Circle Sizes
The round papers you’ll see in some of these projects are all made with the tin can papermaking technique (see page 42). Since the size of the paper circles depends on what you use for your mold, we’ll leave that up to you. Average size is from 2¾″ to 4″. Think of the projects as a jumping-off place for your own creativity. No need to follow instructions to the letter.
Gift wrap and origami paper scraps add a lively decorative touch.
Circular Notes
Use round papers with internal or surface embedment (see pages 64–70) for these single-circle postcard-style notes. Decorate one side and write (or simply sign your name) on the other. A more advanced project would be to experiment with sheet layering (see page 110), which produces paper that is a different color on each side.
Materials
Round sheets of handmade paper with embedded decorations
Several handmade paper scraps (optional)
⅛″-wide double-sided tape or glue stick (optional)
Rubber alphabet stamps and ink pad(s)
Crafty Tip
The materials embedded in the notes shown include fabric scraps, bits of string, and pressed bougainvillea petals and clover leaves. Botanicals work great in handmade paper (see page 66).
Instructions
1. If you like, cut out shapes from the paper scraps, and add them to the front of the round handmade paper circles. Attach them with double-sided tape or glue stick.
2. Stamp a personal message on the cards, as desired.
3. Optional: Make your own envelopes (see page 189).
Paper Cones
These little cones are handy for party favors, just the right size to fill with jelly beans or other candy favorites. Since you need square paper, you can either cut a longer sheet to size or custom-make square paper, using an old square picture frame as a mold. For the pulp, we used colored napkins, an old paper bag, and a paper towel.
Materials
5½″ square of handmade paper (per cone)
Scissors
Clear tape
Pencil or pen
Hole punch
8″ colored string, ribbon, or yarn
Rubber stamps and ink pad(s) or label maker (optional)
Instructions
1. Trim off the rough edges on two sides of the paper square using scissors; these should be adjacent sides, not opposite one another. If you want the top edge of the cone to be smooth, as shown in the project, trim all four edges.
2. Practice rolling the cone by bringing the two adjacent trimmed sides of the paper together. Unroll the cone and lay a piece of tape along one inside cut edge with half of the tape hanging off the edge (the second cut edge will be attached there).
3. Roll the cone back into shape, carefully pressing the cut edges together and matching up the tip and base of cone. To ensure a strong joint, use the back of pencil, pen, or fingernail to smooth the tape down securely.
4. Punch a hole in the top corner of the cone. The hole should be large enough to accommodate whatever ribbon or string you decide to use as your hanging loop.
5. Tie the 8″ piece of string into a loop, with a knot larger than the punched hole. Pull the looped end through the hole; the knot should keep it from passing through.
6. Optional: Add labels to the front of the cones, depending on intended use.
Crafty Tips
To save time, reuse/recycle the pulp colors. Use the base color from a cone for the decorative colors on another cone.
Blend the pulp to a very smooth consistency for pulp gun painting. Use a pastry icing squeeze bottle or an old honey bottle. The tip should be at least in diameter or pulp will clog and come out in uneven spurts.
Blend pulp very smoothly for the square cone paper. Mottled materials don’t curve/bend very well.
Tin Can Critters
Use whatever mottled-surface paper you like for these sweet little critters. Paint on the details (black-and-white eyes, pink ears, orange beak, black dots) with pulp as you make the paper (see page 84). If you prefer, punch circles from paper instead
and glue them on after making each critter, then make eye centers with a felt marker.
Fish
The fish can be made entirely with pulp layering (see page 78). Just for fun, embed opalescent confetti into the pulp when making the paper.
1. Start with a large circle of pulp, and layer on heart-shaped pulp for the tail.
2. Add a circle of white pulp for the eye and black for the pupil.
Mouse
Materials
One large paper circle for the body and two for the ears
⅛″-wide double-sided tape
Yarn scrap for the tail
Instructions
1. Fold the larger body circle in half to create a two-layer semicircle.
2. Attach one ear on each layer using double-sided tape.
3. Tuck one end of the yarn tail inside the folded body and attach with double-sided tape.
Bird
Materials
10″ bamboo skewer for legs, or two toothpicks for short legs
Utility knife
One paper circle for the body, or two for double-sided bird
Clear tape
⅛″-wide double-sided tape
Bits of feathers
Glue stick or white glue
Instructions
1. Trim off one sharp end of each skewer with a utility knife to avoid poking holes in the body paper. Position the blunt ends on the back of the paper and attach with tape.
2. Optional: If making a double-sided bird, attach the second circle to the back of bird using double-sided tape, sandwiching the leg sticks between the two layers.
3. Glue on bits of feathers as you like.
Arnold E. Grummer Page 11