Treewhispers

Share your handmade paper round(s) by mailing to:

• Treewhispers, 923 Amherst, Wilmette, IL 60091

Your paper will become the property of the Treewhispers project. It will be bound together in-house with others and displayed in upcoming exhibits and installations.

Make your own paper rounds—papermaking 101

In this so-called paperless-society it seems there is more paper than ever before—but have you ever really taken the time to appreciate the touch, feel, and sound of paper? If you haven’t ever explored the world of handmade paper  scroll down and see just how fun it can be!

Here’s a simple method for making paper rounds for the Treewhispers project at home, at school, in the back yard—where ever your heart desires. Come on, join in! Invite a friend and make a day of it!

A few details before you begin:

• The theme is the tree. The paper you choose to recycle may have once been a tree.
• This project is ongoing so, for now, there are no deadlines.
• There are no size requirements.
• You may choose to keep your paper but if you would like to share them with the thousands of others from around the world for upcoming exhibitions, the paper rounds become the property of Treewhispers and will not be returned. Sign up and stay tuned for papermaking events and exhibitions.

Gather up the supplies

This method uses recycled paper and a few items you might find around the house.

• plastic to cover your work surface
• paper (newspaper, junk mail, yellow pages, paper bags, colored construction paper, old homework—maybe not the glossy magazines)
• water
• bucket
• blender
• round papermaking mold=embroidery hoop and synthetic window screening (*keep the screen taut between the hoops). If you have an extra embroidery hoop it can be placed on top of the original to act as a deckle.
• vat or tub large enough to accommodate papermaking mold and your hands around the mold (otherwise here known as the embroidery hoop)
• large cookie sheet or tray with a lip to contain water when making sheets of paper
• blue shop towels, pellon, cotton sheeting, or linen towels cut to a size slightly smaller than your large cookie tray
• sponges to press paper and absorb moisture
• for drying paper: iron or heat press and blotters /or laundry line and clothespins

Here’s an easy method for making a round sheet of paper

Get ready

• Cover the table or work surface with the plastic
• Get out your tub or vat and place the cookie sheet next to it
• Place the first layer of damp cotton sheeting or linen towels on a cookie sheet

Blend

• Shred or tear paper into 1″ or smaller size pieces
• Fill blender 2/3 full of water and add 1 handful of shredded paper (not too much paper or it will bog down your blender)
• Cover the top of the blender and blend in short bursts on med-hi for a few seconds until it is the consistency of oatmeal. (*If you add a little more shredded paper and blend again for a couple of seconds you will get a confetti look to your finished paper)

Get set

• Pour the pulp into a bucket until you have desired amount of pulp
• Fill vat or tub with water and pulp mixture (*greater proportion of pulp = thicker sheets of paper)
• Swirl the pulp and water to disperse evenly

Go!

• Dip embroidery hoop (with screening taut) into the backside of vat.
• Pull hoop down into vat under pulp and toward your body

• When mold is parallel to the bottom of vat, lift straight up out of the water and gently shake sideways and front to back before all water drains and pulp settles
• Let water drain off for a minute

• Gently turn upside down onto a prepared surface with cotton sheeting or linen towels
• Sponge back of embroidery hoop screen to press the paper onto pellon and absorb moisture

• Slowly lift embroidery hoop by one edge—the paper should now adhere to the pellon. *It’s paper!

• If ironing dry: layer damp paper between cotton sheeting or linen towels and press with iron until dry

Mary Griffin…steam heat

• If air drying: hang cotton sheeting or linen towels containing damp paper on a laundry line. Drying time is about three hours depending on conditions
  If using heat-press: place paper between blotters and press until dry.

Line drying method

Line drying method

Be creative

• When dry write your personal tree story, draw your favorite tree or trace a leaf, compose a silly tree poem. Be creative and surprise us!

Share your handmade paper round(s) by mail to:

• Treewhispers, 923 Amherst, Wilmette, IL 60091

Your paper becomes the property of the Treewhispers project, will be bound together in-house with others and displayed in upcoming exhibits and installations. Enjoy the forest!