Recycling paper!

 Paper! It's what we write on. Many places such as businesses and schools have switched to primarily digital documents, making paper less and less necessary. Though paper can be recycled, trees need to be cut down to make it. This, along with factories required for companies to produce paper on a massive scale, makes paper less sustainable than ideal. Although paper isn't perfect, we do need it sometimes. If you want to draw or paint, you need paper. If a writer wants to print their book, they need paper. If someone wants to make origami, they need paper. Many things require paper, and I believe that writing and drawing on paper can often be more rewarding than doing the same activity digitally. Having a physical thing after making something is a rewarding experience. Because of this, paper is still a necessary thing that we can't completely get rid of.

The good thing about paper is that it's recyclable. When paper is recycled, it is taken to a recycling center where it is mixed with water and other ingredients into a paste. This paste is spread out into sheets and boom! Now it's new paper! Paper being recyclable is really cool, in my opinion. But what if I told you that you could make your own crafts with paper that you recycle in your own home?

That would be pretty cool. Imagine if that was possible?! Oh wait! It is!

So without further ado, here's my guide on how to recycle paper.

Ways to recycle paper.

There are so many crafts and things you can make with recycled paper! So here they are.

make more paper!

Just like they- do at the recycling plants, you can make your own paper.

The first step is to tear the paper into little pieces and mix it with warm water in a blender. When you blend these two ingredients together, it will form a pasty mush. BTW, make sure to clean your blender out before and after this so your paper doesn't end up strawberry flavored, and your smoothies don't end up paper flavored.

The next step is to put your paper in the frame. You can get a frame from a craft store or you can get this one from Walmart, or these from amazon! (not sponsored). Get a tub of water (not to big, but big enough to fit your frame) and put a large handful of your paper-mush into it. Mix the mush and the water till there aren't any big chuncks. Next, submerge your frame into the water, and pull it out. It should have watery-pulp in it. Move it around a little so that the water comes out, and your left with pulp.

Leave it out to dry, and once it's done: you have paper!

If you were confused by any of the steps, this video explains the process very well.

paper bowls!

You can make paper bowls by taking the paste you made for that first craft and spreading it on a bowl.

Wrap the bowl you're going to be using as your mold in plastic wrap and cover the outside of the bowl in a layer of paper paste. The last step is to just wait for it to dry, and you can use a hair dryer to speed up this process.

Another way to make this is to get paper strips and use modge-podge to stick them togethor around the bowl.

origami!

One time I learned how to make paper cranes for a school project. It wasn't required, but I thought it would be cool. I spent at least an hour making 50 or so miniature paper cranes. And if I could figure it out in only a few minutes, it can't be that hard!

It would be impossible for me to explain how to make origami cranes to you, and I think origami has to be taught either in person or in a video, so here's the video I used!

To make recycled paper origami, find a used piece of paper and measure it with a ruler. Draw a (as close to perfect as you can get) square on the paper. Next, cut out the square. Now use that video I gave you earlier to fold the square into whatever you're making.

Those are all the crafts I have to give you today, but don't let this list limit you! Find your own ways to re-purpose paper and make new things. Have fun!