Paper Making and Paper Dyes

Paper made today by Year 4 children at Newlyn School.

keep a record of all experiments.

Still wet and in need of ironing!

On yellow egg box paper/card with daffodil petals.

Dyed with black food colouring and Mimosa petals added.

No dye added -pulp with Hydrangea petals.





Making Paper & Dying Paper

Making paper is a process involving recycling old paper (enevelopes, letters and non shiny papers) into a pulp. The pulp is usually a plain white/pale blue colour so adding dyes can change this and jazz up your finished design. I am experimenting with beetroot, red cabbage, white onion skins and marigolds which can all be made into a dye which is then added to the pulp. Other natural products can be added to the paper too, for effective designs and texture, but also to help bind the paper together. These can include petals, grains, seeds, seaweeds, recycled threads, dried onion skins and many more. If you use a herb or scented flower such as Lavender and Rosemary the paper does have a lovely smell for a while at least.

Once the pulp has been squeezed through the mesh and has been 'couched' to remove as much moisture as possible, the paper needs to be kept flat and ironed whilst still damp.

TIP: Using the home made dyes can have a very subtle effect if the dye is quite diluted, so have a rich dye solution and a lot of it to stain the pulp. Also, if you have time, leave the dye in the pulp overnight before squeezing through the mesh-this will ensure a brighter, bolder more vibrant effect from the dyes.