Creating Handmade Paper.pptx

A PowerPoint presentation showing the step by step process of how to create hand made paper.

1. by Hand by Bernard E. Richardson Master Teacher & Art Educator © Bernard E. Richardson | 2022

2. How paper making started Paper making is one of the oldest crafts. It was discovered in China around 105 AD during the Han dynasty. Its discovery is credited to a man named Ts’ai Lun , an Imperial Court Official.

3. Equipment & Materials Almost all the equipment and material needed for making paper can be found around the home, except for the mould and deckle. The items needed are Used paper (printed, scrap – pages from old magazines, old telephone books, pieces of coloured paper etc ) Newspaper or absorbent paper Shallow square/rectangular plastic tray Kitchen cloths (smooth, reusable ones Sponge (to remove excess water) Food blender Water in a container Mould and Deckle

4. Making the Pulp Paper can be broken down into tiny fibres by blending it into a pulp with water in a food blender. During the paper making process the paper fibres are rejoined to form new sheets of paper. 1. Tear the paper into long narrow strips. Then tear the strips into smaller stamp-sized pieces . 2. Place a handful of paper into the Blender. Fill the blender to two-thirds full of water. Blend the mixture for approximately 10 seconds. 3. Half full a washing-up bowl with clean water. Pour the blended pulp into the bowl. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 five times more.

5. Making a couching mound A couching mound is a base on which you make your paper. It can be made using a pile of wet newspapers. It is the base on which the paper is rested flat. 1. Fold up 5 – 6 whole newspapers so that they can fit in the shallow plastic tray. Lay them on top each other in the tray. 2. Pour water in the tray over the paper until the newspapers are thoroughly wet. Make sure the surface is smooth. 3. Place a damp couching cloth or clean kitchen cloth over the couching mound to cover it.

6. From pulp to paper… making the sheets 1. Stir the pulp vigorously with your hands . Now that you have prepared the pulp and made the couching mound, it is time to make your paper. Stir up the pulp mixture vigorously so that the paper fibres do not settle at the bottom of the tray or bowl. 2. Hold mould with the mesh side facing upwards and place the deckle in top. 3. Insert the deckle and mould into the tray with the pulp mixture starting from the back of the tray until the entire mould and deckle is below the surface. Then keeping it level, pull them up out of the pulp mixture. Gently shake the mould from side to side, backwards and forward to make the pulp level and make the fires settle.

7. 4. Carefully lift the deckle off the mould. Be careful not to let the water drip onto the pulp or your paper could be damaged. 5. Transfer the mould and deckle to the shallow tray and with the pulp facing the mound, rest the mould on the edge of the couching cloth while holding the two sides. 6. In one continuous movement firmly roll the mound down on to the top of the couching mound and transfer the wet paper fibres on to the couching cloth/kitchen cloth. 7. Holding the edge of the mould closest to you firmly down on the mound, roll/lift the other edge of the mould up and back to remove it from the wet paper fibres. From pulp to paper… making the sheets

8. 8. The pulp should adhere to the mound. Place a couching cloth on top of the sheet of pulp. Make sure it is completely flat. Gently smooth out any wrinkles. 9. Your first sheet of paper is now complete. Repeat the steps 1 to 8 and continue stacking the damp cloth and sheets of pulp on top of each other. Make up to 10 sheets at a time. From pulp to paper… making the sheets

9. Pressing and drying the sheets 1. Place a flat piece of wooden board on the table. Cover the final sheet with a couching cloth. Carefully transfer your newly-formed sheets of paper with the couching sheets on to the flat board. Cover with more dry newspapers and place another piece of board on top of the layer. You now have sandwiched the papers in between the two pieces of pressing boards. 2. With the papers in between firmly press the two boards together to expel as much water as possible. (you could carefully stand on the boards).

10. 3. Remove the top board and newspapers, then carefully peel off each couching cloths, keeping a sheet of newly-made paper in between. 4. Leave the sheets to dry within the kitchen cloths on flat dry newspapers. You could hang them to dry on a rack if one is available or on a clothes line. Pressing and drying the sheets

11. 5. When your paper feels dry and rigid, carefully remove the top couching cloth (it should peel off easily). Carefully push your thumb under a corner of the sheet of paper and slide it along one edge to begin to remove it from the bottom couching cloth. 6. Repeat step 5 on the adjacent edge. Hold the free corner of the paper in one hand and carefully peel the paper away from the couching cloth. Pressing and drying the sheets

12. 6. You may prefer your paper to have a rough surface, therefore leave the sheets to dry out completely before removing them from the couching cloth. If you want a smooth, even finish, iron each sheet using a hot iron while it is still slightly damp. A complete set of Handmade paper Pressing and drying the sheets

13. Handmade paper

14. Scrapbookers and book artists use handmade paper for its unusual inclusions, delicate weight, unique texture, and value as a one-of-a-kind piece. They use handmade paper to create: Uses Gift cards, gifts and gift boxes Diaries and photo albums Wrapping paper, Envelopes, announcements and wedding invitations Picture frames and collages. Paper boxes

15. Resources Dawson, Sophie, 1992. The art and craft of paper-making: step-by-step instructions for creating distinctive handmade paper. NC: Lark Books Watson, David. 1991. Creative handmade paper: how to make paper from recycled and natural materials. Kent: Search Press.

16. The End