2. Open up the bias tape, lay a strip of fusible tape across the bottom edge, arrange the half-circles side-by-side with the tape underneath. Place another strip of fusible tape on top of the circles, and fold down the top edge of bias tape (with the circle edges and tape sandwiched within).
3. Place press cloth over sandwiched edging and press with a hot iron to adhere all layers together.
Crafty Tips
Circles can be smaller or larger or spaced out differently, depending on the desired effect.
The banding can be narrower or wider, if preferred. If you can do some basic sewing, you can make your own double-fold bias tape, with a center fold and the edges pressed under. When planning the length, remember to leave enough on each end to tuck them under neatly.
You also can use a sewing machine to secure the circles to the fabric, instead of the iron-together method, but some tape will be needed to hold everything together for sewing.
Pencil Wrap
The paper for the center wrap was made with cut-up crossword puzzles, embedded in pureed newsprint (see page 64). The pulp was poured a bit on the thin side to help with molding and shaping of the paper.
Materials
Flexible measuring tape
Several pencils
1¼″ × 5½″ strips of handmade paper
Scissors
⅛″-wide double-sided tape
Utility knife
Instructions
1. Measure the circumference and height of the pencils you will be covering. A standard pencil requires about 1¼″ × 5½″. Trim paper strips to fit.
2. Cover the back of the paper with double-sided tape; two tape strips will usually do it. (Use tape instead of a glue stick for better adhesion.)
3. Press the pencil down along one edge of the paper, keeping the pencil and paper aligned. Tightly roll the rest of the paper around the pencil, pressing against the table surface to help it stick.
4. Trim off any excess paper, as needed, with a utility knife.
Easy Holiday Ornaments
Here are two very easy ornaments to make for your own home during the holidays. They make great gifts for others, too! The star shapes are made with cookie cutter molds (see page 80).
Star
Materials
Scoring tool (bone folder)
Two handmade paper stars per ornament
White glue
Heavy books or weights
Small hole punch
3½″ length of 21-gauge beading or craft wire per ornament
Instructions
1. Score both stars down the middle (from the top point to the bottom indent) and fold.
2. Glue them together at the folds, outer fold to outer fold. Lay them flat and weigh down as needed to hold them together while they dry.
3. Punch a hole through both layers at the top of the star.
4. Thread wire through the hole and twist the ends together to make a loop for hanging.
Circles
Materials
One molded paper circle shape per ornament (the example has embedded foil shapes)
Paper punches (various sizes and shapes)
Small hole punch
3½″ length of 21-gauge beading or craft wire per ornament
Instructions
1. Use paper punches as desired to embellish each molded paper circle, punching around the embedded foil shapes, if applicable.
2. Punch a small hole at the top of the paper circle.
3. Thread wire through the hole and twist the ends together to make a loop for hanging.
Tree Ornament
This ornament makes for an interesting three-dimensional handmade paper addition to your cherished family heirlooms. The pulp for this project sample was made with a brown shopping bag, paper towel, cream construction paper, and glitter (see page 76). The mottled look is great, but the more mottled a paper is, the harder it is to curve and bend. To compensate, the pulp was blended until very smooth.
Materials
Scoring tool (bone folder)
One 3″, 4″, and 5″ handmade paper circle per ornament
Scissors or utility knife
Clear tape
Colored cotton string or topstitching thread
White glue (optional)
Two brown ½″ × 3″ handmade paper strips per ornament
Instructions
1. Score each circle down the middle, fold in half, and cut along the fold.
2. Roll each half-circle into a cone shape, joining the cut edges on the inside with clear tape. Make sure the tape comes as close to the point as possible.
3. Take 10″ piece of string or thread and knot one end, leaving at least a 2″ tail (for attaching the trunk later). Thread unknotted end through largest cone, from the inside out through the tip.
4. Tie a new knot 1″ up from the top of the large cone and thread through the medium-sized cone.
5. Tie another knot 1″ up from the top of the medium cone and thread through the tip of the small cone.
6. Tie a loop at the top for hanging.
7. Place small dots of glue on the knots for reinforcement, if needed.
8. Take the two strips of brown paper and glue them together, sandwiching the 2″ tail at the bottom of the ornament between them. Make sure that plenty of the trunk is visible at the bottom of the tree.
Name-on-a-String Cards
Throwing a party? Make custom name cards for your guests with this surface embedment idea!
Materials
Colored yarn, string, or very thin strips of fabric
Papermaking supplies (see page 25)
4″ × 6″ mold (for instance: a picture frame with the glass and backing removed)
Scoring tool (bone folder)
Instructions
1. Wet the yarn and test-write the desired names to ensure each strip is long enough.
2. Prepare the pulp and make a sheet of paper (see page 52). Remove the mold, but do not press out any water yet.
3. Dip the yarn into pulpy water to coat it with paper fibers. Working on one half of the paper sheet (to allow for folding later), apply the yarn to the poured pulp. Make sure to press it in, so it adheres to the pulp.
4. Process and press the paper as usual.
5. When the paper is dry, score it along the center line, where you plan to fold it; otherwise the paper may crack and fold unevenly (see Bone Folder, page 148). The folded finished card size will be 3″ × 4″.
Pose-able Puppet
Fun to make and even more fun to play with, this little puppet could brighten many a rainy day!
Materials
Variety of handmade paper scraps, including a circular piece for the head
Yarn or string scraps as desired, for hair or other details
Small scrapbooking brads for the joints
Bamboo skewer or wooden craft stick
Masking or fabric tape
Instructions
1. Make up a pattern for the puppet and use it to cut out the body parts, or cut out the parts freehand. Arrange the pieces together as you like.
2. Using a brad for each joint, attach the head, arms, and legs to the torso. Then attach the hands and feet.
3. Attach the skewer to the back of the torso with tape. Depending on the size of the puppet, you might need two or three pieces of masking or fabric tape to secure.
Custom Notebook or Journal
Try this method when kids want a quick, personal project to make with recycled paper. There are at least two ways the journal can be bound, and you might think up new ways!
Method 1
Materials
Scoring tool (bone folder)
Thick handmade paper for cover, 5½″ × 8″
Several sheets handmade paper for interior pages, same size
Binding material (cord, string, yarn, ribbon, raffia)
Instructions
1. Score a thick handmade paper sheet down the center and fold it in half to create
a book cover.
2. Fold thinner same-sized papers for inside pages. Tuck them inside the folded cover.
3. Open the pages and wrap binding material around the spine of the book to hold the pages in place. Tie the binding material on the outside.
Method 2
Materials
Scoring tool (bone folder)
Thick handmade paper for cover (see Tips)
Several sheets handmade paper for interior pages (see Tips)
Yarn or string
Large-eye needle big enough to thread the yarn
Instructions
1. Score a thick handmade paper sheet down the center and fold it in half, or select two sheets for the front and back covers.
2. Select a stack of thinner same-sized papers for the inside pages, and line them up between the cover sheets.
3. Use a pencil to mark stitch holes, evenly spaced along the left edge of the cover.
4. Thread the large-eye needle with yarn, and use the diagram as a guide for the blanket stitch. Be sure to pierce through the front cover, all pages, and the back cover with each stitch.
Crafty Tips
Add longer life to recycled paper pieces by following these tips:
Add acid-free additive (calcium carbonate) to pulp to neutralize acid in paper. Acid in paper tends to cause yellowing.
Use spray sealer with UV protection or a frame under UV filtering glass.
Display out of direct sunlight.
Tips
• The personal decorations and text were added as the paper was being made, using the surface embedment technique (see page 64). The patterned letters were made from the paper inside security envelopes.
• The size of the notebook is up to you. It can be bound with one large cover sheet folded in half, or with two separate sheets for the front and the back. With the second option, you can use larger sheets of paper to produce a larger notebook.
• The example uses a total of 16 interior sheets. More sheets can be used, but if the stack becomes too thick, you may need a hole punch to pierce holes for the binding.
Birthstone Card
Use the surface embedment technique (see page 64) to personalize a birthday card, with the name of the month and the birthstone. Or mount the paper on a heavier board with a small loop for hanging on the wall. Paper made from a shopping bag provides a nice backdrop for embedded foil origami paper. (Tin foil doesn’t work for embedment, because it contains no paper fiber and will not adhere properly.)
Materials
Papermaking supplies (see page 25)
Foil origami paper and other colorful patterned paper scraps
Instructions
1. Plan your image in pencil, and cut out paper letters and shapes as desired. You might want to lay them out as a trial run to make sure everything will fit.
2. Prepare recycled paper using your mold of choice (rectangle, square, or circular). While the pulp is still very wet, lightly dip each piece of your design in pulpy water to coat them with fibers, and then press them into the paper.
3. Blot and dry the paper as usual.
Torrent Lampshade
It helps to sketch out your design and to use white or very light-colored sheets of recycled paper to make the lampshade more luminous. Make six to eight different-colored sheets of recycled paper in the usual way. Include at least two light colors. Hold finished papers up to lamp light to see which will look the best on your lampshade.
Materials
Several sheets handmade paper in assorted colors
Peel-and-stick adhesive lampshade
Lit lamp
Glue stick
The Torrent should be constructed on lampshades that come with peel-and-stick adhesive on styrene liners for fire safety (see Resources, page 196).
Instructions
1. Tear thin, long strips from various sheets of handmade paper. Because of the curvature of the lampshade, strips will slant diagonally, instead of running straight across.
2. Remove film over adhesive on the lampshade. Place strips on the adhesive, lining up curves and keeping the colors varied.
3. Cover the entire lampshade with torn strips, holding it up to a lit lamp to look for cracks between strips. Disperse light-colored strips throughout for a luminous effect. Tear smaller strips and use your glue stick where multiple pieces overlap.
Coiled Bowl
The coiled bowl is a popular project in green magazines and the handmade paper version is a lovely variation. This bowl uses 30 sheets of 5½″ × 8½″ paper made from recycled wrapping paper, library newsletters, security envelopes, receipts, magazine pages, and tissue paper. The basic steps are papermaking, cutting, folding, and gluing.
Materials
Papermaking supplies (see page 25)
Scissors
Large spoon or bone folding tool
Low-temperature hot glue gun and glue sticks
Paintbrush (optional)
Decoupage glue (optional)
Instructions
1. Make 30 sheets of 5½″ × 8½″ paper in the usual way. The papers for this bowl were ironed dry, though they could be pressed dry.
2. Cut each paper in half lengthwise to make 60 pieces (2¾″ × 8½″).
3. Take your first piece of handmade paper and fold it in half lengthwise, using a spoon or bone folding tool to make a nice straight edge. Then fold the strip in half (lengthwise) again. Fold in half lengthwise a third time, using the spoon to press the newly folded edge, until the strip is approximately ½″ × 8½″.
4. Repeat step 3 for the remaining 59 pieces of 2¾″ × 8½″ papers.
5. Lay folded strips out on work surface in the order you want to use them. Have the fold open to the table (if it were an alligator mouth, it would be trying to eat your table); this is how the strips will be glued into the bowl, with the single fold up and the opening of the fold down. Vary the colored strips in a way that is interesting, and save two of the nicest looking strips for last, as they make the outer rim of the bowl and will be prominently displayed. Note: The first two strips are the hardest to coil.
6. Use a low-temperature hot glue gun to put a 1″ line of hot glue on the left edge of the first strip (put the line of glue in the middle of the strip).
7. Coil the strip onto the glue, trying not to get your fingers in the hot glue. Also, try to keep the coil straight, so it will sit flat on a table.
8. Continue gluing and coiling in this way until the first strip is completely rolled.
9. Coil the second strip the same way, laying its left edge flush with the end of the first coiled strip. The paper strips in your bowl should not overlap; rather, begin smoothly where the previous strip ended, making a continuously smooth circle. As your coil grows larger, you should be able to put a line of glue much longer than 1″.
10. Beginning with the third strip of paper, place a line of hot glue on the outside of the coil, instead of on the inside of the paper strip you are attaching. Wrap the paper strip around the glue and try to keep your coil level and round. Keep in mind that you don’t need to use excessive hot glue, as you don’t want beads of glue to stick out in your finished project. Remember, the subsequent coiled strips will hug and hold these strips in place.
11. Repeat step 10 until you have coiled about a third of your total strips (20 strips) into a colorful roll. This will be the base of your bowl, the part that sits flat on the table and holds things like keys, cards, or candies.
12. Begin building up the sides of your bowl by positioning and gluing the next folded paper strip (and each subsequent strip) so the single top-folded edge is slightly (about 2 mm) above the one before it. Continue to line up the left and right edges of strips and gradually build the sides. This very slight rise seems tedious, but will give your bowl a lovely shape. Note: To make a taller, narrower bowl, simply increase the rise from your previous strip to ¼″ or more.
13. Continue to glue, coil, and build up the sides of your bowl in this way until the last
two strips. Use a bit more hot glue on the last two strips to secure them firmly to the bowl. Pay special attention to adding more glue to the right edge of the last folded paper strip, as nothing will come after it.
14. Optional: Use a paintbrush to apply decoupage glue to the inside and outside of your coiled bowl to protect it. Let dry and enjoy!
Pop-Up Cards
Pop-up cards deliver a surprise along with their message. Tin can paper (see page 42) carries springy enthusiasm. Handmade glitter sheets (see page 76) unfold with joyful holiday greetings. To make your envelopes, see page 189.
Spiral
Materials
Scissors
Handmade paper circles
Blank greeting cards or folded recycled paper (the size is up to you)
Rubber stamps and ink pad(s) or markers
Glue stick
Instructions
1. Cut paper circles into a spiral by starting at the outside of each circle and working toward the center.
2. Draw or stamp on the greeting card.
3. Put the spiral face down on the work surface. Cover only the outside (largest) ring of the spiral with glue.
4. Press the spiral onto the right inside panel of the card, so the “tail” is closest to the card’s center fold.
5. Cover the “head” of the spiral with glue.
6. Close the greeting card and press. The spiral will automatically attach itself in the correct spot to pop up when the card is opened.
Sphere
Materials
5½″ × 8½″ sheet of handmade paper
Cutting mat
Tin can
Pencil
Template on page 199
Ruler
Utility knife
1 blank sheet of paper, 1” or so larger than the handmade paper (optional)
Arnold E. Grummer Page 13
