The Basic Process of Recycling Paper

It was in 1995 that I took a course on making handmade papers at the Product Design Development Center of the Philippines. We were taught how to make papers from grasses and other indigenous materials that we can find around us.
Here, I will share the basic process of recycling paper.

You will need :
A blender (If you don’t have a blender, you can use a mortar and pestle)
Newspapers or other printed papers (cut into small pieces)
Water
A Big basin
Silk screen molder – 8in. by 12 in.
A towel or sponge
Dye of your choice

The Process:
Soak the papers in water for 2 hours or better if you soak it overnight.

Put the papers inside the blender and blend until it becomes almost beaten up well. (This is called pre pulping).

Transfer the blended papers in the basin. You can add chlorine and rinse the papers well.

After rinsing the papers, add water to your desired thickness of the paper you want to make. Remember, the more water you use, the thinner the paper you can make.

Put dye of your desired color.

Then in a separate bowl, mash the okra with a cup of water, then strain in the basin. This will make the water become silky that will make you strain the pulp evenly through the silkscreen molder.

Then sift the pulp through the silkscreen molder.

Use the towel or the sponge to take out excess water from the pulp. Then place it under the sun or near the window.

When it is dry, you can peel it off the molder.

*Remember : Practice Makes Perfect*