Learn how to make handmade paper with scrap paper and a few pressed or dried flowers to create an extra bit of natural beauty.
I've always wanted to make my own handmade paper with real plant material. However, after researching the process, I decided to take an easier approach and make handmade paper with pressed flowers using household paper waste.
The process is simple. The first batch I made was just okay but the second time was much better.
Supplies
- Scrap paper, small pieces of torn paper, shredded paper, or old newspaper.
- Pressed leaves, herbs, flowers, dried flower petals and buds
- Large plastic bowl
- Large plastic bin
- 2 - 8 x 10 picture frames
- Piece of fine mesh screening material to cover one frame
- Old towels
- Sponge or absorbent towel
- Old blender or chopper
Making Handmade Paper
Step 1 - Gather and Prepare Paper Scraps
First, put your paper scraps or torn pieces of paper into a large bowl add hot water to cover, and let it sit.
The first time I used copy paper from the trash and junk mail. Then I remembered that my husband uses a shredder in his office and that paper worked much better because they were much smaller pieces and saved me the time it took to tear or cut the paper.
Step 2 - Make a Deckle and Mold
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Staple the screen material to the smooth side of each frame. This will act as a deckle.
Place the second frame on top. I bought these two from the dollar store and they worked great. You can use old frames from your home or try looking for some from a thrift store like Goodwill.
Tip: Some people also use old pantyhose instead of screening material.
Step 3 - Prep a Tub for Pulp
Fill up a large plastic bin about 1/3 with water. This tub was really big. I could have used one much smaller.
Step 4 - Create Paper Pulp
Make paper pulp by blending the soaked paper and water in a blender or some other chopping instrument.
Step 5 - Dip Frames into The Pulp Slurry
Pour the pulp mixture into the large container and mix around with your hands. Then dip the frames in at an angle to scoop up the slurry pulp.
Hold the frames under the water with one hand and lay the pressed flowers and dried flowers on top with the other. Then with both hands move the frames around a bit to thoroughly coat the frames, and use your hand gently over the pressed flowers.
Step 6 - Lift and Remove Frames
Lift the frames out of the water and tilt slightly to drain as much water as possible. Remove the top frame and gently place a cloth on top of the paper.
Then carefully flip it over and place it on the counter.
Step 7 - Blot Off Extra Water
Using a rolled-up absorbent towel or sponge gently press on the screen and soak up as much excess water as you can. Wring out the towel into the pulp container and repeat.
Step 8 - Remove Screen and Air Dry
Gently remove the screen and let it dry. The first batch dried naturally overnight but then when I made a second batch I used a hairdryer to speed up time.
The Results
The first batch looked pretty gray when wet and the second was a greenish-blue color.
However, they both dried a lot lighter. The picture above shows the first batch where I used only copy paper and it turned out really white. The rosebud flower petals bunched up to one end.
I found that placing the ferns by hand resulted in a much better look.
This is definitely something I would want to try again. Maybe next time I would consider adding food coloring, flower seeds, or glitter for decoration.
Although this homemade paper is not great for writing on, it would make beautiful gift tags, cards, and backing paper for vellum shower or wedding invitations.
Handmade Paper with Pressed Flowers
Equipment
- Old blender or chopper
Materials
- Scrap paper, small pieces of torn paper, shredded paper, or old newspaper.
- Pressed leaves, herbs, flowers, dried flower petals and buds.
- Large plastic bowl
- Large plastic bin
- 2 - 8 x 10 picture frames
- Piece of screening material
- Old towels
- Sponge or absorbent towel
Instructions
- Put your paper scraps into a large bowl.
- Add hot water to cover, and let it sit.
- Staple the screen material to the smooth side of each frame.
- Place the second frame on top.
- Fill up a large plastic bin about 1/3 with water.
- Make pulp by blending the soaked paper and water in a blender, or some other chopping instrument.
- Pour the pulp into the large container and mix around with your hands.
- Dip the frames in at an angle to scoop up the pulp.
- Hold the frames under water with one hand and lay the pressed flowers on top with the other.
- With both hands move the frames around a bit to thoroughly coat the frames.
- Use your hand to gently press the flowers.
- Lift the frames out of the water and tilt slightly to drain as much water as possible.
- Remove the top frame and gently place a cloth on top of the paper.
- Flip it over and place on the counter.
- Gently press on the screen and soak up as much water as you can.
- Wring out the towel into the pulp container and repeat.
- Remove the screen and let dry.
Notes
Loraine Mohar
Hi Patti! This is amazingly beautiful! I was wondering, I'm a collage artist and considering making my own paper to glue my work onto.
Do you think a glue stick would stick to this kind of paper?
All the best!
Loraine
Patti Estep
Loraine, I think it might. You may want to press it down first with some heavy books to flatten it. Let me know how it turns out.
Loraine Mohar
Thanks for your quick reply Patti! I will give it a shot and report back 🙂
Bernie
Hi, I can't seem to get an even layer of pulp when placing the flowers on the frame as they just float up. Hence when I start to move it around, the pulp gets uneven. Any idea how to solve this problem? Thank you!
Patti Estep
Bernie, one thing that worked well for me was adding a few additional flowers on top at the end by hand.
Kate Supino
Very pretty. Thanks for the post, Patti.
Patti Estep
So glad you like it Kate!
Annie Glacken
I have a question. If you want to use handmade paper that has flower inclusions to cover book board for a journal, should you seal it with so,ething somthe flowers don't rub off?
Patti Estep
Hi Annie,
I'm sorry but I have never done this. You might try a spray on polyurethane but I don't think it will add the protection you need.
Another idea would be to find some kind of transparent cover to place on top of the flower paper.
Roshan
You could cover it with a very thin almost translucent layer of pulp
Sabina
Hi and thanks for this post!
Question - do your flowers bleed onto the handmade paper while drying? (leaving stains in the respective color - e.g. yellow flowers stain the paper in yellow). This happens to me especially when using larger pressed flowers/petals, not small chunks.
If so, how do you avoid this? Thanks!
Patti Estep
Hi Sabina,
I know what you mean. For me, some did bleed a little bit but it varied from flower to flower. I don't know what to say about how to prevent this, but you might be able to test them first by setting a flower on something like a white paper towel and misting it with water to see if the color bleeds.
Roshan
You could soak the flowers in a mordant like alum , etc
bath sponges
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Vikki Yuen
I have a question regarding making handmade paper with dried flowers in it. I've done it multiple times and the way I do it is, I put the flowers face down on my screen/ frame ( I actually use a plastic container/tray with holes in the bottom & sides instead of dunking the whole thing into a tub of water, I just spoon in the plastic tray with pulp that has the consistency of vegetable soup), then I let it dry in the sun. Each time the flowers never retain their color and it just turns brown, beside the luck I had with Dusty Miller ( don't lose color since it's white but it still turns the paper yellowish brown), I can't get the paper with flowers to look like what I was aiming for, something like this where the flower retains it's color and the paper doesn't brown at all.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/149252175138323336/
or this
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/366902700890740173/
What has been your experience & what do you suggest? Thank you so much.
Patti Estep
Vikki, my experience is just what you see here. Some of the flowers did turn a little but not all. Maybe the sun is part of the problem. Also, consider trying adding the pressed flowers on top of the pulp.
Lydia
I had the same problem when I used dried flowers and paper scraps. Interesting enough the bleeding did not happen when I used purchased new tissue paper. But I like to recycle used materials. So I’d love to learn more about preventing this bleeding
Patti Estep
That is interesting about the tissue paper not bleeding Lydia. Thanks for sharing.