Stain Ability

We've all heard about sustainability, but my husband thought a good "catch word" is "Stain Ability" and I agree. This blog is about how to leave your green stains all over your world and your life. Let's start cleaning up the world by leaving a new kind of mark! One that makes the world better than when you came into it. I hope to share our inspirations as to how we are trying to make those new kinds of stains, but also our admirations for those who are doing that already (and doing it well!)

Friday, May 13, 2011

Recycle: Paper Making

made from screen from an old storm door
To make paper you will need a couple things:

  • A screen like the one to the left (this can be any size!  old picture frames were suggested on line)
  • A blender
  • Old paper (go dig through the recycle bin!)
  • Lots of water (to be completely sustainable, leave a basin out before a rainstorm!)
  • A large basin

Step #1 - Rip up a bunch of paper.  You can rip up a bunch of old white computer paper and keep your recycled paper "cleaner" or you could use newspaper to give it a gray look or put together piles of similarly colored paper to get the hue you want.  You can also mix in coffee grounds, corn husks, flower petals to give it an artsy touch.

Step #2 - Dump the paper along with about a cup (or more) of warm water into a blender and mix it up.  If you want paper that LOOKS like you made it, blend it so you can see the scraps.  If you want more of an even look, blend it until it's in very small pieces.  This is your "pulp".

Step #3 - Pour the pulp into the basin which should already have enough water in it where you can completely submerge your screen.

Step #4 - MIX it up well, so that the water is very cloudy.

Step #5 - Dunk the screen under so it's fully submerged and pull it up slowly letting the water come out the bottom evenly.

Step #6 - After all the water that will drip out on its own is gone, place the screen on a felt blanket and then put a screen, piece of plastic, anything that will NOT stick to the top of the paper (I put packing tape over a piece of cardboard) on top of the paper and gently push out the excess water.

Step #7 - this takes finesse and practice!  Flip the screen so that the paper can fall out.  We found that you can gently hit the screen.  If you want to wait until the paper has dried, that is fine, but we were impatient and wanted to make many sheets :)


Step #8 - (Optional) place your paper on an ironing board, place a towel over the paper and iron it out.

Enjoy your own recycled paper!  Logan got a kick out making his BLUE paper.  He brought it to school and had a piece for each of his classmates :)


Our second day's batch!

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