How to Make Paper With a Deckle

Make the Paper

1). Soak the sorted paper separately in plastic containers filled with water for a few hours.
2). Put a handful of soaked white paper into a blender and add water until the blender is nearly full. Blend for a minute until the pulp resembles rice pudding. Put the pulp in a large container filled with water about 6 inches deep. Repeat to make several batches.
3). Repeat with the colored paper, but add only one batch of colored pulp to several batches of white pulp. Stir the mixed pulp in the container with your hand, using a back-and-forth movement.
4). Put the deckle on top of the mold. Hold the mold and deckle together, and dip them vertically into the container. Move them quickly to a horizontal position under the pulp, and gently move them back and forth.
5). Lift the mold and deckle slowly straight up out of the water, rest them on the edge of the container, and allow the water to drip out.

1). Remove the deckle and turn the mold over onto a reusable kitchen cloth with the pulp side down. Sponge the back of the screen gently to soak up water. Squeeze the water back into the container. Do this several times.
2). Start at one corner of the mold and gently lift it off the paper. If the paper starts to tear, gently press it down from the back of the screen.
3). Dry the paper for a few hours. Place another cloth on top of the paper and iron it on a low setting, or dry the paper overnight.
4). Peel the cloth backing from each sheet when the paper is dry. If the paper is still damp, use the ironing method or let it continue to air dry. When completely dry, papers can be stacked and flattened with heavy books.