how to recycle used paper (homemade letter paper)

Easy recycled paper. It's just a little diy project for your kids/students.
You can add food colors or small flowers in order to make original paper for love letters, greetings, etc. (you can also store the remaining mixture for future paper-making).

Watch the video or follow that Instructable

Step 1 You'll need...

- mortar+pestle
- water
- a frame
- tacks
- sieve (with holes of about 0.04")
- plastic sheets (cutted to the right side of the inner frame)
- a container (large enough to fit the frame)
- USED paper (newspaper in this case)

Comments

[X_D_3_M_1]

typo in pics. the plastic sheet part. is cutted a word?

[beehard44]

Cutted is wrong grammar. Cut is cut even in past, future or present perfect, participle.........

Just to help...

[MONSTER323]

does this paper feel like money....plz ppl i need an answer!!1?????

[beehard44]

counterfeiting, eh?
lol

[Kiteman]

Three points:

1. You'll get a smoother sheet if you use a blender to disperse the fibres.
2. You'll get a much nicer sheet if you use something different to newsprint (commercially, old newsprint only ends up in roof insulation or cheap toilet roll). Try using the less-shiny junkmail you get.
3. As probably the only person here with a degree in Paper Science, I suppose I'd better get around to doing a proper Instructable about it...

....eventually.

[beehard44]

guess another way is rip it to small pieces
let it sit in hot water for 24 hours
beat it with an egg beater till it is finer than pulp
follow the rest here!
i did that, and man, it was SMOOTH!

[static]

Not that I'm surprised there are degrees to be had in paper science, but this the first I heard of it. Your probably right, your are the only one here with such a degree, or one of few if there are others. When making like a bear in the woods recycling newsprint into toilet roll is not a very involved process. :)

[Kiteman]

Haha, you're right. I believe there are more Paper Scientists in the US, but in the UK (20 years ago, when I did my degree), there were only 6 or 7 graduates a year.

[Kiteman]

Sorry, I forgot to say - nice Instructable.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

well, its labor intesive, but good for the enviorment and actually works, altho i dont know what you would use that for, other than jotting down notes :-\ in all its cool :-)

[static]

Love notes to your honey on paper you made especially or them. :)

[Darkling]

Finding a fine sieve like this can be difficult. An alternative is to stretch a womans stocking over the frame, tack it down, and cut away one side.

[cawd47]

I use a blender for mixing and the oven at no more than 250 degrees for the drying

[Lost Moai]

A teaspoon or two added to your mixture will also help stiffen up the paper. I'd also like to say NOT to use fiberglass screen on your frame. It stretches too much. It's best to stick with the metal screening seen in this instructable.

[dunnos]

how the hell would you add 2 teaspoons lol :P

[zootboy]

You just have to grind them up into a 40 mesh or higher powder and stir it into the paper mix.

[Lost Moai]

I left out the words "liquid starch" somehow. A teaspoon or two of liquid starch added to your mixture.
Although metal spoons are pretty stiff.

[zootboy]

Not when they are ground into a powder.
=P

[Dalya]

Thank You so much for posting this. I've always wanted to know how to do this. Heck you can even sell this stuff and make some extra moola :D I have PILES of schoolwork paper, junk mail, or stupid bills that are old and already paid for!

[nf_x20]

i dont think you should use a hairdryer because you trying to do the environment a favour :P but otherwise well done

[piper1234]

i like the text on pics it makes clearer the explanation : )

[Chopsteeq]

I don't particularly like using that plastic sheet, I've tried it myself and found that it is very easy to get bubbles forming between the pulp and the sieve. It also can ruin your mold quite easily since you have to press the plastic thing down on the net.

I use small pieces of fabric cut from blankets. It's a lot cheaper and works better in my opinion.

I made a very similar instructable not too long ago, if you are interested you can view it here.

[Weissensteinburg]

Do you ever remove the plastic sheet?

[BlindSight]

of course, when the sheet of paper is completely dried.
You'll notice that the side previously contacting to the plastic is extremely flat and shine =)

[TheCheese9921]

I did this in tech ed at school we used an old blender instead of a mortar and pestle.

[Spectrace]

i saw them do this in disney world (epcot). its surprisingly easy. nice structible

[Spectrace]

they used a vacuum to suck out the water and they used a small oven to dry it though. like a toaster oven.