How to Recycle Paper at Home

You can recycle paper at home. It is a great experience for children. The outcome is a sturdy craft style paper that can be used for making cards or special notes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• blender
• white glue
• water
• panty hose
• wire hanger
• old paper
• sink
• iron

1. Create the drying screen before you begin. You can create a drying screen by shaping the wire hanger into a square or rectangle. Stretch the panty hose over the wire being careful not to snag them. You will need a screen for each piece of paper you plan to make.
2. Tear up your old paper. I shred it with a paper shredder. You can also tear the paper into 2 inch, or smaller, squares.
3. Add water and blend. Place your paper in the blender. Cover it with water. After the paper has soaked up some water, add more water to keep the water level one inch above the top of the paper. Adding enough water is important to keep from over working your blender! Run the blender on low speed. Once you have grey liquid, blend a few more minutes. When you are finished the original paper should be completely broken down.
4. If you want colored paper, add a few drops of food coloring. Blend until the color is distributed evenly. I enjoy the natural off-white color of the paper with small specks of color from any colored paper in the mix. You can get creative with this step and add other elements to your paper. Natural items such as twigs or flowers work well.
5. Give your blended pulp a glue bath. Fill your sink with 4 inches of water. Add 2 tablespoons of glue to the water. Dump the contents of your blender into the sink full of glue water. Use your hands to mix it up. Make sure it is mixed well.
6. Strain your new paper. Place your screen at the bottom of the sink. Wait a few seconds and then very slowly begin lifting the screen. It should take you at least 30 seconds to lift it from the water.
7. Dry your new paper. Take your screen outside and dry it in the sun. It should be completely dry before you try to remove the paper. Very gently pull the paper off. To speed dry your paper, you can try putting it in the oven on a very low heat setting. Just be careful not to set the temperature too high. You would not want to catch your paper on fire!
8. Iron your new paper (optional). You can iron the recycled paper if you wish. This will remove the wrinkles. Be careful not to scorch it with the iron.
9. Make something wonderful out of your recycled paper. You can make special notes, cards, book covers, or use in scrapbooking projects.

Tips & Warnings

• Never recycle heavy paper or cardboard. It will burn up your blender.