How to Make Paper With an Unripe Banana Peel
If you have a surplus of bananas, you can recycle green, unripe peels into craft paper. Homemade banana paper is rough and has a greenish tint that makes it unsuitable for office use, but hobbyists can use the paper for sketching, calligraphy and stationery. A single, standard-sized banana peel makes about one large sheet of paper, but you can collect and dry multiple peels to make as much stationery as you like.
Instructions
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1
Peel the banana, and discard or use the fruit as you wish. Trim off the stem and any imperfections until only the peel remains.
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2
Set the banana peel to dry in the sun. The peel should fully dry out in about eight hours in dry, sunny conditions.
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3
Cut the banana peel into 1 inch or smaller sections. If you have multiple peels, use a mulcher to quickly chop them into small pieces.
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4
Boil the banana peel for 20 minutes to make it soft.
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5
Blend 1 part peel with 4 parts water in a blender for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is uniform.
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Moisten the mesh surface of the silkscreen with water. Using a ladle, spread the banana peel mixture over the mesh to a uniform depth of 1 mm. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours, or until it is mostly dry.
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Peel the paper gently off of the mesh, and hang it on a clothesline to finish the drying process.
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References
- Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
