EASY STREET HOOP-FRAMES can quickly be made into a
mold and deckle for paper-making. You will need two Hoop-Frames the same size. (A mold and deckle are usually made
with two wooden frames --- one as a mold with a screen stapled to it,
and the other wooden frame as the deckle.) Those of you who know about
paper-making will appreciate how easy Hoop-Frames are to use.
Suitable materials for the screen surface include some curtain
fabrics, nylon window screens, or fiberglass screening material that
can be purchased at any craft or hardware store.
Place the screen in the Hoop-Frame as you would any fabric. Since the
screen is stiff, press it into the outer frame with your
fingers, then place the inner frame into position. Cut away the
excess material and you have a mold that will screen paper pulp. You
will need another Hoop-Frame to act as a deckle.
The curved corners of the Hoop-Frames give a nice finish to your
handmade paper. And, Hoop-Frames come in four sizes that allow you to
make different shaped papers. You can experiment with your Hoop-Frame by pulling it apart and inserting other kinds of screens for paper-making.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF PAPER-MAKING
You have seen beautiful handmade papers, now you can make them yourself. Creating handmade paper is fun and easy.
You can learn the age old process of making paper by recycling paper products of all kinds -- junk mail,
used gift wrap, construction paper, grocery bags -- turning them into attractive collages, note paper, gift tags,
bookmarks, and scrapbook pages. Frameable art papers with flowers and leaves embedded in them are easy to accomplish.
You will need a blender, cotton linter, paper pieces, a sponge, couch
sheets (handy-wipes which are re-usable), a vat (a tub or plastic
storage box, at least a few inches larger than the mold and a few
inches deeper to allow room to hold the mold on each side under water).
A sheet of paper is formed by dipping the mold into a container of pulp mixture and picking up a thin layer of pulp on
the surface of the screen. The water drains out of the screen. As you lift the mold out of the container a wet sheet of
paper is formed.
DEFINITIONS:
MOLD -- a frame which holds a stretched screen.
DECKLE -- an uncovered frame which fits on the mold
and shapes the paper.
DECKLE EDGE -- when pulp slips under the deckle, it forms
a soft edge and is called a deckle edge.
COUCHING -- a method of transferring a sheet of wet
paper from the mold onto a drying surface.
PULP -- a watery fiber mixture used to make paper.
How to Make Pulp:
1. Fill kitchen blender with water until 3/4 full.
2. Cut or tear scrap papers into small pieces and place them
into blender. Also tear small pieces of cotton linter
and
put into blender.
3. Place lid on blender. Start with lower speed. Run the
blender
in a series of short bursts. You are recycling paper
back into
pulp.
4. Pour this into tub. Add more water until the tub is 3/4 full.
Making a Paper Sheet:
1. Stir the pulp gently with your hand.
2. Place the deckle against the screen side of the mold. Hold
the two parts together.
3. Dip the mold/deckle vertically into the edge of tub with the
top
edge tipped slightly towards you. As you lower the
mold/deckle, tip the top edge away from you in a
scooping motion.
Lift the fully immersed mold/deckle
straight up out of the tub,
keeping it horizontal.
4. The pulp will even out and the fibers will bond together
while
the water is draining out.
5. Carefully lift the deckle off the mold. If you don't like the
sheet, turn the mold over, hold it on the surface of the
water
to release the pulp so that you can try again.
6. If you are pleased with the sheet, place a couch sheet on
it
and turn the mold over onto a firm waterproof surface.
Remove excess water by pressing a sponge on the back of
the mold.
7. Carefully lift the mold off and leave your newly formed
paper
on the couch sheet to dry.
If paper does not
remove easily from couch sheet,
help it with a kitchen knife.
Several ways to dry papers:
(a) Place them in the sun.
(b) Put them on a cookie sheet in
a preheated warm oven
that has been turned off.
(c) Place
them on an ironing board with a dishtowel or fabric
over them
and iron. (Ironing dried paper will flatten it
out.)
(d) Set them
in front of a fan.
(e) Use a hairdryer.
MAKING MORE PAPER SHEETS:
To cast another sheet, gently stir the pulp and repeat the process.
When your sheets become too thin, add more pulp. The more pulp you have,
the thicker the sheet, and the longer it will take to dry.
VARIATIONS:
Any dye made for fabric can be used to successfully color the pulp. Add
glitter, short threads (don't put these in blender), confetti, pieces
of dried flowers and natural substances.
TO DRY FLOWERS AND PARTS OF PLANTS place them between two pieces of paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds at a time.
Check every 30 seconds until the plants are almost crisp.
Add the dried plants to your sheets as soon as you have lifted the mold from the pulpy water.
Arrange the flowers and leaves in an artistic manner. A toothpick helps to position them.
Make HEART, OVAL, ROUND, BELL, & SQUARE Paper Shapes.
You can make paper shapes using Easy Street's Sweet Suspensions frames. Place
outer Sweet Suspensions frames onto the Hoop-Frame mold -- hold it
over a tub to catch excess water. Slowly pour prepared diluted pulp into the small shapes. When the pulp has
drained, carefully lift off the Sweet Suspensions frames and couch the
shapes.
Be sure to rinse the mold before putting it away
to avoid clogging the next time you use it.
Do not drain pulp into sink!
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