How to Make Paper With a Group of Kids

Making paper from recycled paper is a great craft and lesson on reusing our natural resources. This method works great with a group of kids such as boy scouts. It uses the "dip" method of homemade papermaking.

Steps

First make your dip screen. You won't need more than three of these for a large group.Remove the back and glass from the picture frame and discard.
Lay the frame on top of the piece of window screen and wrap the edges of the screen up and over the frame.
Tack the screen to the frame. The side facing up is the backside. Turn it over so that the frame is covered with the screen from the top down and underneath. This is the right side.
Pour approximate 2 ¼ gallons of water in the tub.
Fill the blender ¾ full of shredded paper.*
Add enough water (about 4 cups) so that it blends to a consistency of watery oatmeal.

Add enough water (about 4 cups) so that it blends to a consistency of watery oatmeal. This is called the pulp.
Pour the pulp into the large tub. Repeat #3 two more times. Stir the water in the tub with your hand so that the pulp is evenly distributed throughout the water.
Slip the screen in, dragging one edge along the bottom.

Slip the screen in, dragging one edge along the bottom. Lower it until the screen is sitting underwater on the bottom. You’ll have to hold it down with one hand.
Swirl the water that is over the top of the screen, so that the pulp is evenly distributed.

Swirl the water that is over the top of the screen, so that the pulp is evenly distributed.
Slowly raise the screen keeping it level.

Slowly raise the screen keeping it level. If you are using a wooden screen, it will float naturally to the top, just keep it level.
Once it reaches the top, raise it above the water-pulp mixture and let the water drain a few seconds.

Once it reaches the top, raise it above the water-pulp mixture and let the water drain a few seconds.
If you have time set it on top of something so the water can continue to drip underneath.

If you have time set it on top of something so the water can continue to drip underneath. You want as much water out at this stage as possible.
Drape a piece of flannel over the top.

Drape a piece of flannel over the top.
Press down some on the flannel so it sort of sticks to the pulp mixture on the screen.

Press down some on the flannel so it sort of sticks to the pulp mixture on the screen.
Take the frame with the flannel and invert it over onto the towel.

Take the frame with the flannel and invert it over onto the towel. Do this quickly.
With a chamois or towel, press down on the screen to absorb more of the water.

With a chamois or towel, press down on the screen to absorb more of the water.
Lift the screen from the piece of flannel by one edge.

Lift the screen from the piece of flannel by one edge. It should lift away easily. If it sticks, you probably removed too much of the water with the towel or chamois, just dump the screen back in the tub and start the dip over.
Let the paper partially dry while still on the flannel.

Let the paper partially dry while still on the flannel. A wooden clothes drying rack works well for this. When the paper is dry enough so that the edges start lifting from the flannel About an hour if outside on a warm day 80° on a drying rack or 2-3 hours inside at about 70 °. You can let it dry completely but it is a little harder to remove from the flannel.
Peel the paper from the flannel slowly.

Peel the paper from the flannel slowly.
Let the paper finish drying.

Let the paper finish drying. For best results, place it between sheets of newspaper and place something heavy on it for a day or two while it is still damp. For groups that need to take it home, just roll it up in a piece of newspaper and tell the parent to unroll it when they get home. It works better if they place some heavy books on it and let it dry.