Fine Handmade Paper. What kind of recycled paper to use

Making fine, beautiful, high quality Handmade Paper is both an art and a craft.

Papermaking is field so diverse that we refer to it as The Art & Craft of 1000

Paths.  Then we ask the question: Which Path will you take?
Here are just a few:
Cards & Envelopes - Gift wrap - Wallpaper - Invitations - 2-D & 3-D Art - Jewelry - Walnut crystal Dyed & Tea Stained Paper - Paper Piecing - Scrapbooks, Journals & Altered Books - Paper casting - Stamping - Specialty Paper - Fine Art Paper & Artwork - Interior Decor - Artwork Mats - Boxes, Bowls, Bags & Urns - Blind Embossing tool & Hot Embossing Powder - Iris Paper Folding & Origami - Quilling - & too much more to list.

In our guide on Why Not to Use Newspaper we go into the several reasons for not using your old newspapers. And we go into some detail about that the disappointing results will be when handmade paper is made using newspaper or newprint (recycled newspapers).

Another kind of paper that is related to your Sunday morning newspaper is the coupon section found in most larger newspapers around the country. People who attend my handmade papermaking workshops often ask about making paper using them. Kids love making paper out of coupon paper. Few adults like the results after one try though. It just doesn't make an attractive paper. Kind of like adding a handful of brightly colored, shiney confetti with lots of blacks, whites and bright colors that just doesn't make paper that is useful for very many projects. If you want to put a very small amount in with your better quality fibers and blend it for a very long time, so all you can see are small fragments and tiny flecks of color that may work and give a nice effect that you will find many uses for. But the more you add the less attractive the final product will be. If you are curious about it, give it a try and see what you think.

Another recycled fiber that is often asked about as a good source for making it paper is dryer lint. If you have 100% cotton clothing dryer lint will work very well. But most of our clothing tends to be synthentic and unfortunately synthetics don't make good paper. However, if you end up with dryer lint that you feel is attractive and would like to add it in with some quality fiber, that is defienetly a good source for adding texture and interesting fibers when used as an inclusions for making paper. Usually an inclusion is 10% or less of the fiber content.

We will discuss several inclusions in another guide on that subject.

So what kind of paper is a good choice for use as recycled paper in fine handmade papermaking?

One of my favorites is brown paper bags. I love the natural earthy, natural look that results from a mix of 25% to 50% brown paper bag added in with Cotton Linter.

Other good choices are paper towels, envelopes (remove the windows from office envelopes, and the adhesive strip from the self sealing envelopes.) Regular lick and stick glue will work very well when blended in. So don't worry about removing that part.

Certainly one of the best sources of recycled paper is copier and printer paper. In the case of ink jet printer paper, the ink is water soluble, so you can soak the paper for a few minutes and wash most of the ink down the drain. Copiers and laser printers are different though in that the ink is heated onto the surface of the paper and won't was away. So if there is a large amount of printing on the paper, it may not be a good choice for recycling.

Other useful paper sources are brightly colored flier paper, card stock, and if you happen have access to a track feeder printer, the little strips of holes that are removed from the edges of the paper are wonderful because they don't require much cutting or tearing to get them ready to add to the blender. I don't think there are many of those around any more, but if you know of one, grab the discarded edges.

Many offices dealing with classified documents which are shredded before discarding could be a good contact for high quality recycled paper. It depends on what sort of paper is being shredded. But if it happens to be a high quality bond, copier paper or printer paper, with mostly text and few dark black graphics, it may be a perfect subject for recycling.

A few other possibilities are outdated checks, (after the IRS has lost interest in them); uncoated paper plates, paper napkins, the back covers of some greeting cards, etc.

Once you have selected the paper you want to recycle, what is the best way to process it. If you have a paper shredder that is usually the fastest and easiest way to reduce the size so it will fit in the blender and process with few stops and starts required. Tearing by hand or cutting with scissors will also work. Or a paper cutter will also work. Whatever method you use, the paper will need to be reduced to fairly small pieces for ease of blending.

Next comes the soaking period. Some people skip it, and go right to the blender. Here are the 3 best methods: 1) reduce the size and soap for 2 or more

hours. 2) Reduce the size and soak in warm water for 5 to 10 minute. 3) Place reduced paper in your blender pitcher not more than 1/4 full. Fill up to about 80% capacity with warm water. Allow the paper to soak for 2 or 3 minutes. Secure the lid well, and start on lowest speed for 15 seconds. Gradually increase the speed but keep an eye on the slurry. If you stop seeing small bits of paper mixed into the slurry, you are getting close to the perfect blend. Don't over-blend. You will break down the fibers, creating brittle paper that will not be a good quality or have any noticeable texture.

You will want to mix different combinations of fibers for interest. Certain fibers are more interesting when under blended. Others need more blending for the best look. But mixing will give all sorts of possibilities. And certainly try adding higher quality fibers like cotton linter, kenaf and denim to you recycled fibers.

Look for the guide on inclusions for more suggestions for making interesting handmade paper.  

Thank you for reading my guides on different handmade arts and crafts.  
Enjoy the process!