How to Make a Paper Log

Recycle old newspapers by turning them into paper logs.

A paper log works as a densely compacted roll of waste paper that makes an excellent fire-starter and will itself burn for a long time as a substitute for wood or coal. If you have a wood-burning fire or stove, making paper logs saves money on fuel because scrap paper is free. Use newspaper, junk mail and even the smallest scraps of paper for your logs. Machines for making paper logs are available but not essential as there are several ways to make them without any special equipment. This method for making the logs proves easy but you must allow enough time for them to fully dry out before using them.

Things You'll Need

• Old newspapers
• Other scrap paper (non-glossy, not heavily printed)
• Rubber gloves (optional)
• 1- to 2-inch wide dowel, rod or a broom handle
• Paper-covered twist-ties
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Lay out two or three whole sheets of newspaper flat on a table. Using these sheets as the base layer, add more scraps, sheets and pieces of paper evenly over the surface until the stack is about 1/2-inch thick.

2. Place two or three more whole newspaper sheets over the top of the paper stacks to sandwich the smaller scraps.

3. Wear rubber gloves if you don't want to get newsprint on your hands. Place the dowel/rod/broom handle along one of the shorter edges of your paper stack. Lift up the edge of the paper stack, grasping the upper and lower newspaper layers firmly to trap all the scrap paper layers, and roll it around the dowel.

4. Continue to roll the stack of paper around the dowel as tightly as possible until the whole sheet is coiled around it. Use two or three paper-covered twist ties to secure the roll in place.

5. Fill a bucket with water and submerge the paper roll (still attached to the dowel). Let the paper soak in the water for about five minutes, then remove it.

6. Squeeze as much water as you can from the soaked paper roll using your hands (work outside or over a sink). As well as speeding up the drying time, this compacts the paper and makes the log denser.

7. Leave the paper log in a warm, sunny spot until it is dry enough for you to remove the dowel from the center. Leave the twist-ties in place and allow the log to dry for at least a week before using it.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have time to soak the paper log and let it dry, just remove the dry roll from the dowel and burn it with the twist-ties it place. It still will burn effectively but produce more ash and not last as long as a soaked-and-dried paper log.

• Discard the glossy ads and magazine sections from the newspaper as the inks used on them may release noxious fumes when burnt. Regular newsprint, on the other hand, is nearly always printed with soy-based inks, so it is safe to burn.

References

• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Lesson Plans for Teachers: Fireplace Logs from Newspapers
• Thrifty Fun: Paper Logs
• Two 3 Five: Paper Log Making