How to Make Homemade Paper

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Facing the vat, hold the mold with both hands by the short sides and lower vertically into the far side of the vat. Then tilt the mold gently towards you until it is lying horizontally, about two inches below the surface of the water. Be careful not to bump the sides of the vat with the mold, which can cause ridges.

RECYCLING OLD PAPER

In addition to creating beautiful stationery, I take pride in knowing that I'm helping to reduce waste in our throwaway society.

Gradually lift the mold, holding it level, and allow it to drain over the vat for about 15 seconds, until most of the water has drained away. Then tilt it slightly to drain for another 10 seconds. If you have two molds, you can put one aside to drain while you form another sheet with the other. (After every two or three sheets, add another quart of pulp to the vat.)

Next, hold the deckle (see "Build a Mold & Deckle" ) against the mold with your thumbs on top and fingers underneath as you immerse both frames in the vat. As they clear the surface — but before the water drains away — lift them out of the vat. Give the mold and deckle a gentle shake backwards, forwards, and sideways to disperse the fibers. Be sure to move from your shoulders, not just the wrist). Then drain the wet sheet for about 30 seconds before removing the deckle gently. Do not to let any drops fall on the wet sheet — they will leave water marks.

At this point, you have two drying options. The first and easier method is to simply tilt the frame on its side and leave it outside to dry. On a windy or sunny day, the paper will dry within a couple of hours. In sunny weather, and with two molds in operation, it's possible to make up to 112 sheets a day using this method. Be careful of strong winds, however, which can topple the mold and ruin your paper. To prevent this, lean the mold against a flower pot in a sunny location, using a brick or heavy stone placed at the base of it to hold it firm. Another potential disaster is rain, which can create gaping holes, and don't leave your paper outside overnight when small creatures may get to it.

To remove the paper from the mold, slide a sharp knife under a corner of the paper and work it along the top edge in order to loosen it. Then gently peel off the paper. To press, leave paper in a heavy book for a week.

Build a Mold & Deckle

The mold is nothing more than a simple, durable wood frame. To make one, nail or glue at the corners two pieces of 13"-long wood (the sides) with two 8 1/2"-long pieces of wood (the top and bottom). Strips of wood should measure 1" x 2" in thickness, and the inside area of the frame should be 8 1/2" x 11". You can further reinforce the corners with brass L-shaped braces.

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