How to Make Paper

Turn scrap paper into one-of-a-kind, handmade paper projects with flower petals, leaves and even seeds from your garden.

By Nancy Ondra
Filed under: Nature Crafts

Rinse Excess Pulp

Between creating each sheet, rinse any clinging pulp off of the mold frame and screening. It's a good idea to set a bowl or pan in your sink to catch the rinse water, because paper pulp can easily clog the drain. When you're finished, dump the rinse water and any remaining pulp outside on your compost pile or in your garden.

Make Petal Paper

Use your finished homemade paper for notecards, invitations, scrapbooking, bookmarks or ornaments, or frame it as artwork. To create petal paper, gently stir in a handful of colorful flower petals before pouring the prepared pulp into the sheet mold (image 1). For best results, stick with flat petals or very small whole flowers (image 2). Tear or cut larger flowers into small pieces so they won't pop out of the finished paper surface.

Make Fragrant Paper

Blend or stir a handful of leaves and flowers from your favorite herbs into plain or colored pulp, along with a few drops of essential oil to enhance the fragrance.