How to Make Homemade Paper

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PRESSING NEW PAPER

The simplest way to press felts is to sandwich them between boards and stand on them for ten minutes.

Then hang your couched paper indoors on a drying rack or clothesline with clothespins to dry. Once dry, remove the paper from the felt by sliding a sharp knife under a corner of the paper and working the knife along the top edge to loosen. Turn the felt over so the paper is face down (on a clean, dry surface) and gently peel the felt away. Press the paper in a heavy book for one week.

Storing Extra Pulp

Newly made or leftover pulp can be stored in sealed bottles or buckets for up to a few weeks. Pour pulp through a drainage bag, stocking, or colander lined with mesh, rinse well under running water, and return it back to its container slightly diluted. Experience will tell you which consistency works best, but a general rule of thumb is to dilute one cup of wet, drained pulp with one to two cups of water. If the pulp is still too thick, dilute it even more so that your sheets won't end up lumpy.

If after a week or so your pulp starts to smell badly, add one teaspoon of household bleach for each two quarts of pulp. Before using the pulp again, however, make sure that you give it a good, thorough rinsing.

For longer storage, some recommend draining and then freezing excess pulp. Others (myself included) suggest draining the excess pulp through mesh and then storing it in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag. For indefinite storage, drain pulp through a stocking and hang to dry. When you need some, simply break off pieces, soak them in water for an hour, and blend again.

Editor's Note: Reprinted with permission from Making Your Own Paper: An Introduction to Creative Paper-making by Marianne Saddington . Copyright © New Holland Ltd. Published by Storey Communications.

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