Upcycled Paper - A Step by Step Guide
If you do any shopping online, I'm sure you've had more than one order arrive with tons of packing paper. Usually this goes straight into the recycle bin but, since this it the 'Do It Over' Designers challenge, I had other plans for it!
Welcome to the 'Do It Over' Designers blog hop. We are a group of bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY. I'm happy to host this hop and I hope you'll visit everyone to see what they have to share with you. This time our theme is 'Out of the Recycle Bin' and I've challenged the team to take something out of their recycle bin and do it over. It can be anything that gets recycled from paper to glass to plastic. Please visit to see everyone's creativity. The links will be listed at the end of this post.
This post may contain affiliate links.
OK, let's talk about packing paper.
You've seen it.
It looks something like this when you open the box:
Let's upcycle it into something pretty!
First, run it through the shredder. To give it a lighter color, add some (mostly) white paper. Mine was sitting in the bin waiting to be shredded.
Next, put it in the blender with some water and let it work some magic.
Pour the paper pulp in a small tub and add water.
Taking a paper-making screen, swirl the mixture, push the screen toward the bottom and then bring it to the surface.
Although it's easy, let me backtrack for a moment if you've never tried papermaking before. The screen has 2 parts and is hinged.
Close the empty frame over the screen before you submerge the entire frame.
After you pull it up out of the tub, open the top frame and you have a perfect rectangle.
Place a piece of scrap muslin on top of a towel...
..and flip the frame over - onto the muslin.
Using a sponge, absorb as much water as you can from the screen side.
Gently lift the frame up, leaving your wet paper on the muslin.
If your paper doesn't want to pull away from the screen, gently run your finger along the edge of the screen and you'll see the paper start to release.
After trying the first one, I decided to get a little fancy with some dried flowers.
After lifting the frame from the tub, I gently pressed the flowers into the wet pulp. Lifting the open frame, the flower sat right in the corner of my paper.
After making some more, I left them to dry on the muslin overnight.
The next morning, the new paper peeled right off the muslin.
It was then time to get back to my paper-crafting roots and make something with my new, upcycled paper!
First a tag:
The green background was cut on my Maker, but the upcycled paper was cut by hand.
A 'Thinking of You' card:
This was the daisy from the second piece I made.
One more:
The flowers used here didn't stay in the paper well, so I helped them with a little glue.
Some of the papers needed to be cut for the cards so let me show you how I did it while still keeping the deckled edge.
I made a gentle fold and then followed it with some water on a paintbrush.
Gently pulled apart the two sides.
And let them dry.
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I also used kraft paper to wrap my Christmas presents this year and tried that as well. I stamped some of it and this is what it looked like before it was turned into pulp:
And after:
I think they'd make pretty cards or junk journal pages.
There are so many ways to repurpose this new paper:
- cards
- gift tags
- bookmarks
- journal pages
You can add dried flowers, like I did, or seeds.
Send a card to a friend made with seed paper and they can plant it and have beautiful flowers, compliments of you!
Colored paper and paper with different textures will give you even more options for your projects.
I even ran a piece through my manual die cutting machine in an embossing folder.
I think I see the beginnings of a Valentine's Day card!
I so enjoyed this and my brain is thinking of all the ways to use my new upcycled paper. Junk journals are very popular right now and I may need to look into them. Stay tuned. You never know what I'll come up with!
There's more paper in my shredder just waiting to become something else. How about you?
Off you go...
Shred your paper, grab a paper-making screen and some dried flowers, and have some fun!
Here are all the links:
Featured at:
I've always wanted to try making paper but never got round to it.
ReplyDeleteI love reusing packaging paper just as it is but sometimes even after pressing it with the iron it's just too torn or damaged to be used again so turning it into this gorgeous textured paper is brilliant.
It's just perfect to be used for all sorts of crafts and your cards are just lovely.
You should give it a go, Julie. It's a lot of fun and a great way to use your packaging paper!
DeleteWhat a wonderful idea Ann! As a little girl, my class went to the recycling center, and we made paper in this same way. I have always wanted to try it as an adult, but I've never done it. I want to try it again, thank you for sharing. You made some really cute pieces, I love the card making idea. The embossed hearts will make the perfect Valentine! Seed paper is such a good idea too, oh, they all are, but my head is spinning with gift giving now. Isn't it amazing what you can come up with when you rescue things from the trash? Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cara. I guess this was a 'trash to treasure' project. I can't wait to use some colored paper and get some seeds!
DeleteI'm so inspired to try this Ann! I've never made paper and have always wanted to try it. They're all so pretty; Im really intrigued by the embossed version. The wheels are already turning.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the whole process and it was fun pulling out my paper-crafting supplies to make something out of the new paper. More paper will be made and I hope you give it a try, Sara!
DeleteI have a screen I bought in Japan and haven't used it much - this inspired me! I used to make seed paper and i have to revisit that craft! Thanks for the inspiration! I love what you have created!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear I've inspired you, Patti. I guess it's time for you to pull out that screen!
DeleteAnn, these are all really beautiful! What a super fun way to get crafty and use some of that old paper. My nephew and his wife sent seed paper thank you notes out after their wedding and I thought it was a lovely idea. Now I know how to make it myself! Happy Hopping!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kim. Seed paper is next on my list. Seeds should be out since Spring is just around the corner, right??
DeleteWhat a brilliant, fantastic idea, Ann! I had never thought of making paper and yours turned out so pretty! I have loads of shredded paper but never thought to use it in a crafting way. This is very creative and I am truly inspired!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gail. Shredding the paper makes it much easier to turn into pulp and whatever is in your shredder is sure to give you something unique and amazing!
DeleteI haven't made homemade paper in a long time, but I remember how fun it is! I love that you've included dried flowers in some too!
ReplyDeleteIt really is fun and the dried flowers worked out well. I wasn't sure at first but I decided to give it a try...and it worked!
DeleteI love everything about your handmade paper. It looks so great on the tag. The embossed one is my favourite so unique.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anita. I wasn't sure about embossing, but I was really pleased with the results. There are so many possibilities!
DeleteVery pretty greeting cards made with recycled paper. I have some large ceramic molds and have used them to shape recycled paper into Christmas and card ornaments A fun hobby!
ReplyDeleteCeramic molds? What a great idea, Pat. I would love to see them!
DeleteThis is utterly amazing! I love this. And how beautifully these have turned out. Thanks for sharing this post with all of us at the Will Blog for Comments #76 linkup. We look forward to more shares at #77 when it opens next Monday (now 2 hours earlier). Wishing you a lovely week ahead.
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you! It was so much fun, too. I plan to make more since there are SO many paper options!
DeleteI am so tempted to buy a paper press now! I think you have found a new creative hobby too. The cards are beautiful Ann, and I hope you continue to make more. And share them too of course.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Donna. Getting lost in the craft with no outside distractions was wonderful, and let's face it, there will always be more paper that needs shredding!
DeleteOh, I love this! I have made paper before, many years ago in college. It's such a creative way to turn packing paper into something beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be the forgotten craft. So many have said the same thing. Maybe I've started a trend?!
DeleteHow pretty! My favorite is the embossed one.
ReplyDeleteWe have only made paper mache in school and I was terrible with it.
Thank you, Cat. This is much easier than paper mache!
DeleteThis is absolutely beautiful. So well done. You should be proud. Visiting via the Momfessionals linkup.
ReplyDeletersrue.blogspot.com
Thank you so much. I'm pretty pleased with the results!
DeleteWhat a great idea!! You turned something that most would throw away into something beautiful. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Maybe you'll give it a try?
DeleteSo pretty! Featuring you at Wednesdays in the Studio!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Jennifer! I appreciate the feature.
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