Almost two thousand years ago, the Chinese discovered the process of making paper by soaking hemp, rags and fishing nets.  In this manner, highly valued sheets of handmade paper were made from recycled products!  Two thousand years later, we continue to use recycled products to make paper.  However, our Western society has found quick ways to make paper with machines rather than to create it by hand.  This holiday season, when the use of paper increases immensely with additional wrapping paper, cards, envelopes, bills and gift certificates, etc., introduce the rewarding process of creating handmade paper to your students.
 
Though the process of making paper by hand is time consuming, the rewards in experiencing the science of creating paper and the creativity involved outweigh the amount of time spent with the process.  Count on spending at least three or four days with this project.  Allowing up to two weeks, start to finish, is helpful.  Below I have outlined the equipment needed and the basic recipe for making handmade paper.  Additional creative variations are added along with valuable instructional resources.
 
Equipment needed:
Mould and deckle: This necessary equipment for making paper consists of two frames of the same size.  The mould has a wire mesh attached to it to strain the paper pulp.  The deckle is a removable frame that fits exactly on top of the mould.  The deckle helps give the paper the untrimmed or “deckled” edge.  The frames can be rectangular or can consist of two small embroidery hoops of varied shapes.  Use a fine mesh net, such as window screening, curtain screening or old, undamaged pantyhose on the mould.  Be sure to make the mould and deckle in advance of your papermaking project!
 
Blender or food processor: Used to mix paper and water to create pulp.  

Vat: This container, such as a small plastic dishwashing tub, contains water to which paper pulp is added.  It should be big enough for the mould and deckle to be easily immersed in the water/pulp mixture.
 
Couching Pad: A bed of damp felt, cotton fabric or Handi-Wipes cut slightly larger than the mould and deckle.  Wet paper is transferred to the couching pad so that excess water is absorbed.
 
Size: Liquid starch or paste used to make the paper stronger and less absorbent.  Size can be added to the pulp in the vat or sprayed or brushed onto dried, seasoned paper that is at least two weeks old.

Boards and heavy books or C-clamps: This equipment is used to keep the paper flat while drying.  The couching pad should be placed on a sturdy board.  After layering couching sheets of paper and damp fabric, top with another board.  Secure the board with C-clamps or heavy books.
 
Paper to recycle: Unprinted computer paper, typing paper, copy paper, tissue paper (because of the finer texture, this should be mixed with heavier paper), cardstock scraps or heavier paper.  Avoid newspaper (unless gray colored paper is desired), printed papers or slick coated papers.
 
The basic process of papermaking involves:
1.      Tearing paper into postage stamp-sized squares
2.      Soaking the torn pieces in water
3.      Blending the paper with more water in a blender or food processor
4.      Pouring the pulp into the vat
5.      Stirring the pulp in the vat
6.      Adding liquid starch for sizing (optional)
7.      Immersing the mould and deckle into the vat vertically,
         then pulling it toward you into a horizontal position
8.      Lifting and gently shaking the mould and deckle out of the vat
9.      Transferring the paper to the couching pad
 
I recommend the following resources for more detailed instructions, since amounts of pulp, starch and water do matter: www.intersurf.com/~redstic/Paper/Hand.htm and
Gray, Susan, ed. Papercraft of the World: A book of creative paper projects.  Thunder Bay Press, 1995.
 
If your students desire to experiment with the size of paper, challenge them to make their own mould and deckle.  What objects might they be able to use?  The website www.bonus.com/paper/paper.html mentions using bent coat hangers for the mould and deckle!  To add color to paper, include powdered paint, liquid paint, food coloring, water based inks, natural plant dyes, or small bits of colored paper to the pulp.  Also, consider adding small pieces of embroidery thread, dried flowers or leaves, grasses, yarn or burlap fibers, or wheat husks to the pulp to create varied textures.
 
To add scientific inquiry to papermaking, examine the properties of plant fibers and other fibers that create paper.  Examine the ways that paper is made in large factories.  Wood pulp is often dumped into acid.  What acid is used?  How do the factories maintain a good pH balance?  When sizing handmade paper, a pH balance of 7 is considered neutral otherwise the paper can discolor and become brittle.  Challenge your late-elementary or middle school students to maintain the balance while mixing the pulp.
 
Connect this project with other service-learning projects with which you may be involved.  If your school has a recycling program, have the students use collected paper for this project.  If your students are involved with organizations or individuals in the community, create cards for them with the handmade paper.  Research the number of trees that are cut down each year to provide the world's paper supply.  Visit a paper recycling plant or invite a local artist who creates handmade paper to come to your classroom!  Students can share their knowledge with the school, create a brochure with statistics and information about making paper, or talk with local organizations about the importance of recycling paper.
 
If you are studying world cultures, dig into the history of papermaking.  The Chinese are credited with inventing paper two thousand years ago.  The formula for making paper than spread to Baghdad, Damascus, Egypt and Morocco before it began to move north to European countries.  Papermaking did not reach the United States until 1690 over fifteen hundred years after the process was invented by the Chinese! 
 
Papermaking is an art and skill that has been practiced for generations.  Making handmade paper not only leads to a greater appreciation for a product we use freely;  it also leads to a heightened awareness of the importance of recycling the paper we have.