How to Make Paper from Plant Fibers

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Make paper from scratch with this fun project.

Step 1: Prepare the plant material
Cut the plant material into postage stamp-sized pieces using the garden shears.

Step 2: Break down the plant fibers
Boil the plant material in water until it decomposes. This can take several hours.

Tip
Soaking most plants in warm water before boiling them will reduce their decomposition time.

Step 3: Disperse the fibers in water
Rinse the plant fibers thoroughly. Then fill a blender or food processor with water. Add the fibers and blend the mixture until the plant fibers are evenly distributed in the water.

Step 4: Add the pulp to a basin
Pour the pulp into a large basin or stopped sink. Continue blending and adding pulp until the sink or basin is half full.

Step 5: Dip the mold and deckle in the basin
Place the deckle on top of the paper mold. Dip them together into the pulp at a 45-degree angle, drawing them toward you.

Tip
If you cannot find a mold and deckle at a crafts store, construct your own from flat picture frames with a screen attached to one of them.

Step 6: Remove the mold and deckle from the basin
Raise the mold and deckle to the surface in one continuous motion. Then remove them from the pulp and allow the water to drain.

Step 7: Dry the paper
Remove the deckle and transfer the layer of pulp to a flat surface covered by a damp cloth by placing the mold upside down on the surface and then raising it up. Let the paper dry.

Did You Know?
Did you know? Paper wasps create nests of paper made by mixing their saliva with fibers rasped from dead wood.

[deathbunny]

To lighten the paper add lye when doing the blending process, to smooth the paper and get an even surface, while still damp remove it from the mesh, and place on a flat surface. then place a large weight or rock on the top, in order to speed up the process leave outside in direct sun light. to blend without a blender use a mortar and pestel, this can be used to get a better texture if done carefully .

[DarthJeremy]

" Step 4: Pour the diarrhea into the kitty litter box"

[CutieRingoJoy]

For some reason suddenly I thought what if I live in a world that paper doesn't exist

[PurdyBear]

Great video, its really useful to me. I want to make a book from scratch, so that means sourcing the fibre/plants, making the paper, cardboard for the cover, thread etc. I may even make my own pencils but we shall see.

[ninjaweretiger]

Next is to find out how to make all the supplies by hand. xD I plan to learn I’ll say the odd things for survival situations. Paper can be helpful to start a fire with. It also can be used to send for help.

Seems odd but hey.

[katiewishart]

i love to try it. but i don`t think my mum will be to happy to see me boiling leaves, or using her blender to do this.

[miles]

I'm doing research for a scince fiction novel, and was wondering if this could be done with underwater lichen, or seaweed?

[nomaruuzaki]

one question, which one did you add the plants or the water when you wash the plants?

[cazey]

I think you need to thin out that pulp if you want anything rhat resembles paper.

[boiman]

I just wanna make paper to roll my weed in smh

[spottydingo]

This video is a bit irresponsible in that it's NEVER advisable to use the same cooking pot, utensils or blender for food and cooking plant fibers. Also not the greatest idea to cook the plant matter indoors. I have an 2 burner electric stove I use outside. Thrift stores are a great source for used pots, utensils and a blender (food processors will not work for many fibers).

[huckleberryrabbit]

i am making paper from leaves at the moment, but i wonder if it will hold together. what is the ingredients that does that?

[gamevibe]

Can you use a premium weed grinder and make paper op not with weed

[uansums]

is there a possibility that they will turn brown???

[dyaldhadda]

I want to make paper out leaves for a project and that should be light enough to write on . how can I make that

[LunatiqHigh]

Better not tell her where honey comes from, lol.

[starrstewart]

You can learn more about it on woodprix website I think.

[tanunanao]

step 8: keep children away from grinding machine

[hellomynameis]

paper wasps create nests of paper made by mixing their saliva with fibers rasped from dead wood. THATS GROSS!!!