Pulp Ornaments & Jewelry

You can make your own ornaments and jewelry by hand! Just follow these simple instructions:

Alert! This activity can be messy. If you are doing this activity at home, be sure to check with your parents or other adult before you begin. Wear old clothes. If it's a nice day, you may do this activity outside on a card table. If you are inside, place a layer of newspapers on the floor underneath your work area.

What you'll need:
		toilet tissue, facial tissue, construction paper, or paper towels large mixing bowl water food coloring wire whisk or hand egg beater candy molds (available at craft supply stores) paints or markers, (optional) glitter and glue (optional) small magnets, pin backings, thin ribbon, tiny plastic eyes

Before you begin, gather all of your supplies together and put them out on the counter. Read all of the directions from start to finish to become familiar with the procedure. Now you are ready to begin.

1. First, tear up about 2 cups of toilet tissue, facial tissue, construction paper, or paper towels into pieces about the size of a postage stamp.

2. Place the torn up paper in the mixing bowl. Next add enough warm water to cover the paper (about 2 cups should do). If you wish to tint your white paper with food coloring, add a drop or two to the water and mix thoroughly before pouring over the torn-up paper. Watch as the paper starts to absorb water and break down into soggy mush. Note: construction paper may need to be soaked for several hours to overnight. What you are seeing is the wood fibers in the paper separating from one another. Papermakers call this mushy solution pulp.

2. Now, using the wire whisk or hand egg beater, mix the pulp until the fibers are separated and evenly distributed. No large clumps should remain. You may use your hands to break apart any remaining lumps.

3. You should do this next part over the sink. Take a small handful of pulp and squeeze it firmly into the candy molds. Be sure it is packed tightly. As you squeeze the pulp in, squeeze out as much water as possible. A paper towel may help. Now set your mold into a safe place to allow the pulp to dry. Be patient! Depending on the size of the mold, it can take a day or so for the pulp to dry completely.

4. Once the ornaments have dried completely, simply pop them out of the candy molds.

5. Now your ornaments are ready to be decorated however you like. Use paints, markers, and glitter to decorate them. Glue on magnets, pin backings, and colorful ribbons to make refrigerator magnets, pins, and ornaments.

 
Adapted from Make Your Own Recycled Paper Ornaments,
Robert C. Williams American Museum of Papermaking, Atlanta, GA.