Paper Making
Don’t know what to do with all that scrap paper from other crafts? You can turn it into more paper that you can use to write letters to your camp friends and companions! Paper making is a great way to recycle in your own home while getting creative. You can use any scrap paper you have and brighten it up with flower petals, confetti or other materials you find!
Safety First!
Have your parent or guardian help you with blending the pulp.
Remember:
Never put your hand inside the blender
Make sure the blender is covered before pressing on
Keep your blender on a flat surface and unplug it immediately when you’re finished
Materials Needed
Blender (if you don’t have a blender, check out our alternative below!)
Scrap paper ripped up into squares – the more colourful, the better! (1 C)
Water (enough to cover the paper in the blender)
Fine strainer
Sink or large bowl
Paper towel or tea towels (x2)
Markers for writing your letter
Optional
Seeds
Flower petals
Threads
Sparkles
What to Do
Layout paper towel or tea towels on a counter where they can stay for 24 hours, or on a baking tray if you want to be able to move the drying paper.
Blend paper with water until it is mixed well into a fine pulp. (If you’re using any of the optional materials, they should be added in this step so that they are well mixed into the pulp.)
Pour the pulp over your blender in a fine layer. The thicker the layer, the longer it will take to dry. Depending on the size of your strainer, this may yield many pieces of paper.
Squeeze out water well by pushing pulp into the strainer
Flip strainer upside down onto paper towel or tea towels and press out more water.
Leave until it dries – approximately 12-24 hours.
Once dry, write a letter to your friends or CQ!
Alternative
No blender? No problem! You can still get creative!.
For this alternative, all you need is scrap paper and glue or tape.
What to D
Rip up your scrap paper into smaller shapes, and mix it all together.
Pour the paper onto your work space so that it falls randomly.
Tape or glue pieces of paper tightly together in the order that they are spread out.
If you used glue, leave it to dry.
Flip it over and you have a whole new piece of paper!
Write a letter to your friends or CQ!
A Fun Twist
Are you planning on planting any seeds in a garden or indoor pots this summer? Add your seeds to the blender after you blend the paper but before you pour it onto the strainer. Once the paper dries, write a note about what you’re grateful for and plant the piece of paper. Water regularly and see what happens!
Let’s see your creation! Show us what you’ve created by tagging us on social media using the tag #CQCampIn or emailing us at program@campquality.org Happy Crafting!
Your Friends at CQ.