Like many moms, I have a large collection of reusable tote and shopping bags in the trunk of my car. Big ones, small ones, and a massive IKEA one that is apparently made to haul a couch around in, although I've never set foot in an IKEA. And they ride with me to the store, where I promptly forget they exist as I walk in and get my groceries in bags.
Because of this, I have ended up with a large pile of brown paper grocery bags, neatly folded and tucked into another grocery bag, waiting for their next purpose. Yet another collection of stuff that I know I will have a need or use for someday, but until then have to stash away.
When I was organizing my art supplies last month, I found my paper-making screens and realized that bag full of bags would be perfect for mashing into pulp and turning into something new.
I popped my headphones in, found a good podcast, and started ripping them into shreds. I removed all the handles and reinforced areas that had been glued on, then cut or tore the rest of the paper into roughly 1–2" pieces.
Once that was done, I mixed several handfuls of the large brown confetti with two pitchers of tap water and let it sit for about half an hour. When I could easily mush the paper with my hands, I started breaking it down with a hand mixer. I usually use a funky old blender I bought at the thrift store for these kinds of projects, but the motor burned out, so the hand mixer was called into action.
I mixed the paper and added water as needed until it had roughly the consistency of mashed potatoes. Then I poured the slurry into a large Rubbermaid storage bin and added about two more gallons of water. I was using my biggest screens to dip, so the tub gave me enough room to submerge them with space on all sides.
Once I was happy with the pulp-to-water ratio, I sprinkled in some crushed dried rose petals. This is completely optional, but it adds texture, color, and character to the finished paper.
I carefully dipped each screen, which was a little tricky since the pulp was thicker and chunkier than usual. After a few dips, though, I found a good thickness and the sheets started coming out just right.
I am impatient and had several screens in different sizes, so I set the oven to 250°F to dry some of the dipped screens while setting the others outside to dry in the direct sun in the garden.
I was initially worried about whether the finished paper would need additional sizing, but so far I've used it for both writing and block printing with acrylic paint without having problems with the ink or paint running or soaking excessively into the fibers. I haven't tried a fountain pen yet, but my black gel pen hasn't bled at all.
I've since started cutting some of the finished sheets into rustic display cards for my handmade earrings, and I've experimented with block printing directly onto them. I love that something as ordinary as a pile of grocery bags can become part of the finished presentation of my work instead of ending up in the recycling bin.
If you're interested in more detailed instructions or a video of the process, let me know. This was a super fun project, and I'm already excited to make another batch.
