Things You'll Need:
- Kitchen blender
- Old newspapers
- Water
- Rolling pin
- Two nylon cutting-boards per sheet of paper you intend to make
- One large mesh kitchen strainer
- Food coloring
- Essential oils of your choice
- Colorful flower petals and leaves
- White glue
- Big stacks of books
-
Step 1
Tear old newspapers into 1-inch squares. Fill the blender jar half full of water. Slowly add a handful of newspaper squares at a time until it makes a thick slurry the consistency of mud pies. Mix in 1 tsp. of white glue. Add a few drops of food coloring until the slurry is a pretty color.
-
Step 2
Pour the slurry into the mesh strainer. Allow all the water to drain away. Take a handful of slurry and place it in the center of the smooth side of a nylon cutting-board. Roll the slurry until it is uniformly thin.
-
Step 3
Channel your inner Martha Stewart and Jerry Garcia as you lay flower petals and leaves on the corners of the slurry sheet in a decorative manner. Use a paintbrush to scroll food coloring in tie-dye patterned curls and splotches. Splash a few drops of scented oil over the slurry sheet. Lay a second nylon cutting board on top of the slurry sheet. Roll again with the rolling pin.
-
Step 4
Place everything on a stable, flat surface. Place a stack of books or other flat weights on top and allow the stack to sit for 24 hours.
-
Step 5
Take the stack of books off the cutting boards. Carefully peel the top cutting board off the paper. Allow the paper to dry another 24 hours before peeling the sheet off the bottom cutting board. Make your recycled paper into greeting cards, envelopes and other useful items.
