Make Your Own Paper

Students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. Students are

Activity
thrilled to find that they can make paper and that their product is practical, as well as

51 beautiful. See the PLT website, www.plt.org, to watch a video of the paper-making
process used in this activity.

Levels
Grades 1-8 OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Subjects
■ Students will describe the steps of the paper- ■ Ask younger students to write the directions
Science, Social Studies, making process and identify the elements and for making paper on the piece of recycled
Language Arts, Visual Arts outputs of the process. paper that they made.
Concepts
■ By reducing waste and recy- ■ Have students use concept mapping,
cling materials, individuals graphics software, or write a script for a
and societies can extend the video that explains the papermaking process.
value and utility of resources
and can promote environ-
mental quality. (2.7)
Skills The process begins when trees, grown
Observing, Organizing BACKGROUND especially for papermaking, are harvest-
Information, Comparing and
Contrasting
ed and transported to a paper mill. At
Paper is a simple material. It is essen- the mill, large machines strip away bark
tially a mat held together by a fiber’s and shred the logs into millions of chips
roughness, and can be made from almost the size of breakfast cereal. The wood
Higher Order Thinking, any fibrous material such as cotton,
Paired/Cooperative Learning, chips travel on conveyors to gigantic
Realia/Hands-on Learning
hemp, flax, wood or recycled paper. And “pulp cookers,” where chemicals and
yet, this simple product has a tremen- steam are added. The mixture is heated
dous effect on our lives. Imagine how dif- and pressurized, breaking the chips into
ferent your day would be without paper! smaller and smaller pieces and finally
Graphics Software
forming a dilute water suspension of
Materials We use paper for countless things in our wood fibers called pulp. The pulp then
Scrap paper torn into 1” x 1” (2.5 everyday lives, including newsprint, mag- passes through cleaners and screens and
cm x 2.5 cm) pieces (paper tow- azines, schoolbooks, photocopies, comput- sometimes goes through a bleaching
els, construction paper, and toilet er printers, envelopes, stamps, tissue and
paper work well; a large bowl; a process that will give it the whiteness
wooden frame 5” x 7” (13 cm x 18 sanitary products, bags, boxes, containers, needed for the grade of paper being
cm) or 8” x 10” (20 cm x 25 cm); food packaging, gift wrap, wallpaper, dis- manufactured. Other chemicals such as
nylon or wire screen; staples; a posable dishes, lampshades, and as an art dyes, pigments, sizings, or resins are
plastic basin at least 2.5 gallons medium. Industrial uses include gaskets,
(9.5 liters) in capacity, that is larg- sometimes added to provide the paper or
er than the frame; cloth dishtow- speaker cones, liquid and gas filters, insu- paperboard (thick paper for boxes) with
els (felt, blotting paper, or news- lation, and friction devices. the appropriate finish.
paper may substituted, blender;
sponge; strainer; colored paper, The process for making paper was invent-
pieces of colored thread, or dried The pulp is then pumped through pipes
flowers (optional) Variation: ed in China in the second century A.D., to a paper machine where it is sprayed
scraps of construction paper, and all paper was made one sheet at a onto a wide, moving wire screen. After
newspaper, water, blender, 9” x time until 1798. With the Industrial the water in the pulp drains through the
14” (23 cm x 36 cm) cake pan, 8” x Revolution and the papermaking
13” (20 cm x 33 cm) piece of win- holes, a damp mat of wood fibers
dow screening, two 16” x 16” (41 machine, papermaking became a major remains; this is the paper. It is picked up
cm x 41 cm) pieces of wood industry that provides countless prod- from the end of the moving belt and
ucts, from books and newspapers to pack- dried over steam-heated rollers.
Time Considerations
aging and note pads. Some modern
Preparation: 30 minutes plus
machines can make a sheet of paper 26 Commercial papermaking affects the
time to gather materials
Activity: two 50-minute periods feet (8.8 m) wide and nearly 40 miles (64 environment in several ways. The energy
km) long in just one hour! While the tech- needed for papermaking comes primarily
Related Activities nology has changed dramatically over the
Paper Civilization
from fossil fuels, which are nonrenew-
centuries, the basic steps are simple able. Burning those fuels can put carbon
enough for your students to do in class. dioxide and other pollutants in the air.
However, for public safety, there are state
224 Project Learning Tree • PreK–8 Activity Guide
© American Forest Foundation
 dents to participate. Middle school
students might use stations so
some students can make paper
while others do a different activity.
For younger students, you might ask
a parent or aide to help at stations,
or have an activity for the rest of
the class while you help small
groups make paper.

The papermaking process is a wet one,

so plan to use a work space that won’t
be harmed by moisture. You might
want students to wear “wet gear”-an
apron or smock, or old clothing.
Remove any plastic or staples from
the scrap paper, and tear it into small
pieces (1-inch or 2.5-cm squares). Soak
the paper in hot water in the large
container for at least 30 minutes.

Buy or build a wooden frame, which

you will prepare for paper making.
Tightly staple or tack nylon or wire
and federal guidelines that control through the manufacturing process, screening to the frame, making a
emissions. Most of what you see com- the fibers deteriorate. After repeated “deckle,” which is the surface on which
ing out of the mill’s smokestacks is recycling, the fiber is no longer suit- you will layer the fibers.
steam, not pollutants. Many mills recy- able for papermaking.
cle the waste paper they produce, and
use wood waste to generate their own Producing recycled paper requires about DOING THE ACTIVITY
electricity for the process. 40% less energy than producing non-
recycled paper. And making recycled 1. Introduce the activity by asking stu-
The wastewater from the paper- paper produces 70% less water pollu- dents what they think paper is made
making can cause pollution problems. tion and much less air pollutants, such of and how it is made.
However, in the United States and as greenhouse gases, particulates, and
Canada, the water discharged from other hazardous pollutants. 2. Fill the blender halfway with
mills is tightly monitored and con- warm water, then add a handful
trolled. Traditionally, the pulp-cooking In 2003, the United States, for the first of the soaked paper. Blend at medi-
process created strong odors, but most time ever, recycled more than 50% of um speed until you no longer see
mills now have systems in place to the paper it consumed. This means pieces of paper, and the pulp has a
alleviate this issue. that fifty million tons of paper did not soupy consistency. You can blend in
end up in the waste stream—equiva- a piece of construction paper for
Most paper comes from trees, a renew- lent to two hundred and thirty Empire color; or stir in short pieces of
able resource. Most of the trees used State buildings full each year. In total, thread, dried flowers,
for paper are managed for that pur- recycling paper reduces the amount of or herbs for texture.
pose. In commercial papermaking, solid waste produced in the manufac-
more than half of the fiber comes from turing of paper by over 60%. 3. Pour the mixture into the large
lumber mill residues and from paper basin and then fill the basin with
that has been collected for recycling. warm water, mixing thoroughly until
GETTING READY the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
Paper is easily recycled, which helps Adding a few ounces of liquid starch
Decide how you will conduct will help make the paper firm.
reduce waste. However, no matter how
the activity. If you are short on
much paper we recycle, new trees still
materials or adult supervision, you
will be needed for paper products,
can demonstrate; but, ideally, you
because paper cannot be recycled
should try to find a way for the stu-
indefinitely. Each time paper goes

Make Your Own Paper

© American Forest Foundation 225
4. Slide the deckle into the basin. Put Variation—Pictures 9. Press firmly on the top board to
some pulp onto the screen and, still from Pulp squeeze out moisture.
holding the deckle underwater, gently
move it back and forth to get an even 1. Collect plenty of construction paper 10. Turn the paper press upside down.
layer of fibers on the screen. scraps and sort them by color, tearing Take off the board, then the newspa-
them into dime-sized pieces. per, and then, very carefully peel the
5. Lift the deckle out of the mixture, screen away from the paper. This is the
keeping it flat. Allow it to drip until 2. Make different colored pulps. For back of your picture.
most of the water has drained off. You each color, repeat this process: fill the
should have a uniform layer of pulp blender half with paper pieces, and 11. Leave your picture face down on
mixture on the deckle. Press the pulp half with water. Blend at medium the newspaper and put it in a warm,
gently with your hand to squeeze out speed until smooth. Pour each color safe place to dry. Once it’s dry, carefully
excess moisture (rubber gloves will pulp into a separate container. peel it off to reveal your work.
help). Soak up any excess water from
the bottom of the screen with a sponge. 3. Fill the cake pan halfway with water Enrichment
and submerge the screen.
6. Place newspaper on a flat surface ■ Students can use different types of
and turn the screen paper-side-down 4. Choose a background color for your materials to make paper, and then
on the cloth. Lift the screen gently, leav- picture, and put one-half cup of that compare the papers. Students might
ing the paper. Gently tap the screen to color pulp in the cake pan. Mix it so it try newspaper, paper towels, typing
help release the paper. is evenly dispersed in the water above paper, or cotton balls. Which paper
the screen. is the strongest? Which is water
7. Let it dry naturally for several hours resistant? Which is best for writing?
or overnight. Gently peel off the paper 5. Carefully lift the screen out of the What other comparisons can stu-
when it is dry. water and allow excess water to run dents make? What kinds of uses can
off. Your background layer will remain they think of for their new paper?
8. When you’re finished making on the screen. What materials can they use that
paper, collect the leftover pulp in a might otherwise be thrown away?
strainer and recycle it, or freeze it in a 6. With the background pulp on top,
plastic bag for future use. Don’t pour place the screen on several sheets of ■ Students create a book or bulletin
the pulp down the drain! newspaper on one of the boards. board showing different kinds of
manufactured paper, and describing
9. Discuss these questions: 7. Create your picture by carefully the characteristics, benefits, and
dripping thin layers of the other pulps limitations of each. For example,
■ What materials did we use on top of the background pulp. This they might include samples of
in making paper? can be done by pouring the colored newsprint, gift wrap, parchment,
■ What forms of energy did you pulps into small paper cups and wallpaper, vapor barrier for houses,
need to make the paper? (electricity pinching the cup rims to make pour- packaging, milk cartons, greeting
and students’ own energy) ing spouts. Once pulp is dripped onto cards, and so on.
■ What types of wastes resulted the screen, do not try to remove it, or
from making paper? (dirty you will tear the
water, leftover pulp) background pulp
■ What did we do with the and create holes in
waste products? your picture.
■ What were some problems
with making paper? (cleaning 8. When you finish
up the mess) your design, place a
■ What would it would be like in a few layers of news-
paper mill, where tons of paper are paper on top. Put a
being made a day? Why do you think board on the news-
recycling paper is important? What paper, creating a
about reducing the amount of paper paper press “sand-
you use? wich.” (See dia-
■ How is the new paper different from gram on the next
the old paper that you recycled? page.)

226 Project Learning Tree • PreK–8 Activity Guide

© American Forest Foundation
 Paper Press

■ Have students investigate the ■ If you live near a paper mill, invite a
process used in modern paper facto- representative to help your class
ries. Discuss ways it is similar to and make paper. Ask him or her to bring
different from making paper by samples of wood chips, pulp, and
hand. paper, if possible.

■ Students can make paper for the ■ Research to find out what other
school to be used as class “thank fibers—in addition to wood fiber—
you” notes, graduation invitations are used to make paper such as
and so on. They might also use the hemp, flax, cotton, and rice straw.
paper to write a poem (as in Activity
5, “Poet-Tree”) for Mother’s Day,
Father’s Day, or Grandparent’s Day.

pop-ups perfect for celebrating all types of explaining how trees are made into paper.
READING CONNECTIONS occasions, and tell stories on a scroll. This book carefully explains the
Students will enjoy choosing the style that's papermaking process so children
Curtis, Neil and Peter Greenland. How Paper is just right for what they want to say and do. understand how changes in matter occur.
Made. Lerner. 1992. Describes how paper is Grades 5+. ISBN: 1579903266. Grades PreK-2. ISBN: 082250720X.
made, beginning in a forest and ending in a Grummer, Arnold E. Paper by Kids. Dillon Press. Woods, Samuel G. Recycled Paper: From Start to
paper mill. Grades K-3. ISBN: 0822523760. 1980. Step-by-step instructions for various Finish. Gale Group. 2000. Demonstrates how
Diehn, Gwen. Making Books That Fly, Fold, methods of making decorative paper using waste paper is recycled into useful
Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist & Turn. Sterling materials found around the house and household products at the Marcal paper
Publishing Company, Incorporated. 2006. simple equipment that can be bought or mill. Grades 2-7. ISBN: 1567113958.
This book’s projects showcase a host of constructed. Grades 1+. ISBN: 0875181910.
features and magically unfold like a map, Marshall, Pam. From Tree to Paper. Sundance.
contain cards that slip into pockets, include 2002. An exciting photo-essay book

Make Your Own Paper

© American Forest Foundation 227