Directions:

1. Gather the following materials:

2 Full Newspaper Pages, torn into 2-inch squares
Food Processor or Blender
2 Tablespoons of White glue (like Elmer's Glue)
2 or 3 Cups of Water
Sink or Basin with 4 inches of water in it
Old Pair of Pantyhose
Wire Coat Hanger
Electric Iron


2. Undo the coat hanger and use the wire to make a flat square, about 6 by 6 inches big. Stretch one leg of the pantyhose over it (If you put tape over the ends of the hanger and take your time, it will not snag as much). Make sure it is tight and flat.

3. Tie knots in the hose and cut off the excess. You can use the other leg for another frame. You will need another wire frame to make a second sheet of paper at the same time. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the first sheet to dry.

4. Put a handful of paper and some water into the food processor. Close the food processor and turn it on high. Keep adding paper and water until you have a big gray, slushy blob. (Make sure there is enough water to keep it smooth or else you'll burn out the motor!) keep the food processor on until all of the paper has disappeared. Then leave it on for 2 whole minutes!

5. Put the glue in the sink (or basin) of water and add all of the pulp that you just made. Use your hands to mix it really well.

6. Mix up the sink water and then scoop the frame to the bottom of the sink. Lift it very slowly (count to 20 slowly while you are lifting). Let the water drain out for about a minute. If you are making a second piece, you will need to mix up the sink again.

7. Hang the frame on a clothesline or lay it flat out in the sun. Wait until it is completely dry with no dampness at all.

8. Carefully use the iron- set on the hottest setting- to steam out your paper.





Other Things to Try:

• Just before you lift the paper out of the sink water completely, try adding some leaves, flowers, pictures from the Sunday comics, ribbons, string, etc. to the paper. It will settle onto the top layer of the paper and become embedded into the sheet of paper.
• Try using different kinds of paper: paper bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper, labels from cans, etc. Different types of paper will give different results.
• Try using "chunkier" paper pulp. Don't spin it in the food processor as long. It will change the texture of your paper. If you use printed paper, you might get some of the images to show up on your sheet of paper.
• Make colored paper. Try adding some food coloring to the mixture in the food processor.
• Try experimenting with different shapes of wire frames for different shapes of paper.
• Try using a piece of window screen with a cookie cutter on top to make small shapes (or square pieces with a cookie cutter shaped cutout!).

How can I get credit for this assignment?


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