Wednesday, July 31, 2013

How to Make Newspaper Paper

How to Make Newspaper Paper

Using old newspapers to make new paper is an excellent way to begin the process of going green. Use your new recycled paper for letters, grocery lists, for the kids to draw on, or even to write the first draft of that novel you've always dreamed about. Making and using newspaper paper helps save electricity, water and trees, not to mention space in the landfills.

Instructions

    1

    Bend the coat hanger into a rectangular shape. The sides do not have to be perfectly straight. Stretch one leg of the pantyhose over the wire frame, making sure it is flat and tight.

    2

    Tear the newspaper into 2-inch squares. An easy way to do this is to first tear long strips down the length of the newspaper, layer two or three together and then tear them into smaller squares.

    3

    Throw a handful of newspaper squares into the blender and add some water. Turn the blender on high and blend the mixture until a pulpy gray mass begins to form. Add more paper pieces and more water and continue to blend until all the paper disappears. Blend the pulp for another two minutes, then turn off the blender.

    4

    Pour clean water into the dish pan until it is about 4 inches deep. Add 2 tbsp. of glue to the water along with the blended newspaper pulp. Using both hands, mix the pulp and glue thoroughly together in the water.

    5

    Stick the wire coat hanger frame into the mixture so it goes to the bottom of the pan. Slowly lift out the frame, letting the water drain off. The pulpy mixture will stick to the pantyhose-covered frame. Let the water drain for at least one minute, then hang the frame on a clothesline, or somewhere to dry.

    6

    Peel the dried sheet of newspaper paper off the frame when it is completely dry. Set the iron on its highest setting to steam out the sheet of paper and flatten it.

    7

    Continue making sheets of newspaper paper until all the pulp is used up. Stir the mixture around before making each sheet. If you have additional wire hangers and old pantyhose, to make more frames, the process will go quicker.