Make Your Own Paper at Home

July 2, 2008

It’s fun to make your own paper at home.This project letsyou explore what happens when water and paper interact, and it produces homemade paper perfect for interesting gift tags or stationary. This could be a really fun activity for a family night!

Materials:
toilet paper (use an inexpensive brand – the coarser the better)
empty plastic water bottle
kitchen strainer
large dry sponge
old newspapers
rolling pin
waxed paper
food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. First of all, do not attempt any experiments without permission and help from a parent.
2. Make sure you have plenty of working space for this activity. Cover a table with newspaper to limit the mess.
3. Place 10 squares of toilet paper in the water bottle. Fill the bottle half full with water and close securely. If desired, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the bottle to create colored paper.
4. Count to 100while youshakes the bottle. This shaking will allow the toilet paper and water to make pulp.
5. Once the mixture looks like “slush”, your pulp is ready. Pour the pulp into the strainer in a thin, flat layer. Squeeze as much excess water out of the pulp as you can.
6. Prepare a working space with layers of newspaper to absorb the water. Without moving the layer of pulp with your hands, flip the strainer and let the pulp fall onto the layer of newspaper. Cover the pulp with a piece of waxed paper and use the rolling pin to squeeze out any excess water. Remove the waxed paper and place the sponge on the paper to absorb the excess water. You may have to repeat this process several times.
7. Once you’ve removed all of the excess water, allow the paper to dry overnight. Voila! You have yourown piece of handmade paper.You can decorate the paper the next day, use it to write a note, or make a craft project, like a gift tag or pin. Be creative!

You can use this project as is orby using bits of recycled paper from junk mail. Keep in mind that when using paper with a coarse texture you will have to either use an electric blender, or shake the bottle a little more in order to break down the paper into pulp.

Filed under: All Posts,VBS 2008

Tags: experiment, home, paper, science, toilet