How to Make Toilet Tissue Paper

Making your own toilet paper is an interesting and fun way to recycle.

Making your own toilet paper may seem like an unusual or complicated idea. In reality, making toilet paper is simple, and it's a great way to recycle any old paper you have in your house. By making your own, you also get to exercise complete control over your toilet paper and experiment with different types.

Things You'll Need

• Clean paper to recycle
• Blender
• Warm water
• Window screen
• Tub large enough to submerge screen
• Sponge
• Cotton, felt, or flannel fabric

Instructions

Make Paper Pulp

1. Rip the paper into small pieces and fill a blender about halfway with the scraps. Add warm water until the blender is full, then process the paper and water mixture on low speed until a pulp starts to form. Increase the speed and blend until the pulp is smooth, with as few intact pieces of paper as possible

2. Fill a large tub about halfway with water, then add the first batch of pulp to the tub.

3. Repeat this process, making a batch of pulp and adding it to the tub of water two or three more times. The more pulp you add to the tub, the thicker your finished toilet paper will be.

Make Sheets of Paper

1. Submerge the window screen in the tub. While it is underwater, make sure the pulp lays evenly on the surface of the screen.

2. Carefully lift the mold out of the water and allow excess water to drip back into the tub. Some pulp will remain in the tub.

3. Verify the thickness of the pulp on the screen. If it is too thick, scoop some out (without putting it back into the tub) and re-submerge the screen. If the pulp is too thin, add more to the tub and re-submerge the screen.

Dry the Sheets

1. Place the screen, paper side down, on a square of fabric. Gently press the wet paper with a sponge to absorb as much water as possible.

2. Carefully peel the sheet of paper from the screen and lay it on the fabric.

3. Continue alternating squares of fabric and sheets of paper until no more pulp is left in the tub. Apply gentle pressure to the stack of paper and fabric.

4. Carefully remove the sheets of paper and allow to dry on a clothesline or laid flat.

Tips & Warnings

• Almost any kind of paper can be recycled to make toilet paper, but pay attention to the thickness. Using cardboard will result in thicker toilet paper than using tissue or newspaper.

• If the paper does not easily peel off of the screen, you may have pulled too quickly or there may be too much moisture. Try sponging more water from the sheet before attempting to peel it off again.

• You can add a few tablespoons of lotion for softness or perfume for scent.

References

• PioneerThinking.com:Making Handmade Paper in 10 Easy Steps
• Make-Stuff.com:How to Make Your Own Recycled Paper