- 1). Gather a bunch of scrap paper suitable for recycling. You can use any paper that isn't waxy or glossy. Don't use cardboard. Remove any extraneous matter like tape or plastic stickers.
- 2). Cut, tear or shred the scrap paper into strips of about 1 inch by 3 inches. Don't make the strips too short because you have to leave some of the wood fibers intact in order for your homemade paper to hold together.
- 3). Soak the paper overnight in lukewarm water.
- 4). Drain the soaked paper in a strainer. Don't press any additional water out.
- 5). Combine the drained paper with an equal amount of water into a blender. Blend the mixture on medium power until it reduces to a slurry. Make more as desired.
- 6). Fill a turkey roasting pan roughly halfway with water. Pour the slurry into the roasting pan and mix it thoroughly with the water.
- 7). Add two tablespoons of liquid starch. This will make the paper less absorbent and easier to write on. Stir the mixture thoroughly.
- 8). Place the deckle screen side up into the mixture. Some of the pulp will settle onto the screen.
- 9). Lift the deckle out of the tub, slowly and evenly, taking care not to tilt the deckle or let the pulp on the screen spill away.
- 10
Allow the excess water to drip away. The layer of pulp on the screen will become the sheet of paper. If this layer is too thin, add more slurry to the roasting pan, mix it in, and try again. If the layer is too thick, add more water to the roasting pan, mix it in, and try again. - 11
Place a sheet of absorbent fabric, like a towel or a piece of felt, onto the counter. The sheet should be larger in dimensions than the deckle screen. - 12
Swiftly turn the deckle upside down so that the paper deposits onto the felt. Lift the deckle gently away from the paper, leaving only the paper and the felt. - 13
Cover the paper with a second layer of felt and squeeze the excess water out with a rolling pin. - 14
Let the paper dry overnight. Then gently remove the felt from the paper.
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