Here’s my question: Why stick with just paper fibers to make your paper? Paper can be made out of just about anything. (But beware, some things work much better than others do.) For example, the first paper I ever made was with banana peels. Have a banana split party or just eat a bunch of bananas at once. Just be sure to save the peels.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the insides of 3-4 medium sized banana peels. Be sure to scrape out all usable material, but also be careful not to dig into the actual skin of the peel.
- Put the pulp into a blender with about a liter of warm water and blend for about one minute on medium speed.
- Strain the mixture to get rid of most of the water. Place the pulp that’s left on a cutting board or any other type of smooth, hard surface. *
- Using your hands, and any other desired tools, spread the pulp evenly across the surface. The thinner you can get it, the better.
- Use a sponge to remove as much water as possible from the piece of paper by pressing it on the top of the pulp. Wring out the sponge and repeat as many times as necessary. This also helps to flatten the sheet.
- If you want to get a thinner piece of paper, place the sheet between squares of fabric and use a rolling pin to press the paper.
- At this point, you may, if you wish, use an iron to help dry the paper, being careful not to burn it. The paper may also be left out in the air to dry. Watch it carefully to be sure that it does not curl. If it does, place the sheet between fabric squares and put a few heavy books on top of it.
The paper will be dark brown in color and therefore not very good material to write on. However, it does have an interesting texture, especially if allowed to curl during the drying process. Feel free to experiment with different materials lying around the home. (I would suggest staying away from grass. It simply does not hold together well.) These homemade papers are great to use in scrapbooks, homemade cards, and many other places instead of regular store bought paper.
*At this point, you could also use flamingweasel’s technique with the frames and screen and probably get thinner, more professional looking sheet of paper. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making a screen/don’t have the materials/don’t have the time/don’t have the money, etc. the above method works quite well, but yields a thicker, less even piece of paper. This is not a bad thing, and personally, I think it adds a bit of charm to my new creation.