Great Junk Mail Crafts

Crafts can be expensive, but not when you have a never ending source of FREE material being delivered to your very own mail box every single day of the week.

Believe me, nothing beats the satisfaction that comes from turning unwanted junk mail into your own special paper creations to give as gifts or to use as serviceable items around your home.

Paper has been made from lots of things; paper towels, toilet paper, wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines, rags, candy bar wrappers, and kleenex are just a few examples, and for paper with a more interesting texture, shrubs, grass, vegetables, flower petals, dryer lint, herbs, and even wasp nests have been used.

You may want to experiment with some of these ingredients after you master the simple steps of paper making, but, for now, let's work on eliminating some of the more offensive piles of junk mail you received this week.

YOU WILL NEED:

A blender, a rolling pin, and a kettle
1 cottage cheese container with lid
1 small round margarine container
2 old towels (can use paper towels, instead)
1 tablespoon household bleach
6 couching cloths 8x8 inches cut from old towels,
worn out blankets, or felt
3 pieces fiberglass screen 8x8 inches
5 cups loosely packed junk mail cut or torn into small pieces. If you use envelopes, discard any plastic or cellophane windows.

THEN:

1. Place paper and bleach in kettle, cover with water, and boil for 1-2 hours. (30-45 minutes in a microwave oven.) Drain and rinse with cool water until mixture is cool enough to handle. Drain again.

2. Squeeze out liquid and form mixture into walnut-sized balls. This is your pulp supply. Store in secured plastic bag in refrigerator. Mixture will keep for 2 or 3 weeks.

NEXT:

1. Cut out and discard center of the cottage cheese container lid.

2. Place one 8x8 inch screen over the top of the cottage cheese container and clamp on with the rim you prepared in step 1.

3. Cut bottom from margarine tub and place on top of screen to control the size and shape of each sheet. Your paper mold is now ready to use.

NOW:

1. Place one 8x8 inch screen on an old towel and set aside. (The bleach in your pulp mixture may mark the towel so be sure the towel is not a new one.)

2. Put about 1/4 ball of prepared pulp in blender with 1 cup of water and blend on high until it
liquefies.

3. Hold the margarine tub section of your mold steady, pour the mixture into it and wait for the liquid to drain through the screen. The water caught in the cottage cheese container portion of your mold can be reused in the blender for your next piece of paper.

4. Place a second screen over the top of your paper, and use a couch cloth to absorb moisture. Change cloth and pat gently to remove more water.

5. Lift top screen carefully and paper should come up with it. If it does not, loosen it by sliding a knife under an edge of the paper.

6. Lay paper and screen on top of the screen set aside in step one. The paper will be sandwiched between the two screens on top of the towel.

7. Fold a section of the towel up over paper and flatten gently with rolling pin. Unfold towel, move screens and paper to dry section of towel and repeat to remove as much excess water as possible.

8. Carefully remove the top screen, turn the paper onto a towel, and peel the other screen carefully off the back of it. If it sticks, use a knife to get it started.

FINISHING UP:

1. Your newly formed piece of paper will need to dry for several days so spread the towel in a place where it will not be disturbed. (A cookie sheet makes a handy drying rack.) If you wish to speed up the drying process, iron the paper between two piece of cloth.

2. Check the paper frequently. If it begins to curl, cover it with a paper towel and place a board on it.

VARIATIONS

1. Instant Paper: Bypass the boiling procedure, and blend 3/4 cup of water with a piece of colored kleenex. Pour into mold. (Toilet tissue, paper towels, flower petals, and most shrubs can also be used without boiling.) You may want to add a little pinch of regular pulp mixture when using flower petals or plant leaves as they sometimes break or tear when used alone.

2. Embossed Paper: Place small item such as a key under paper while it is still wet and a heavy object on top of paper. Dried paper will retain image of object. Let paper dry for an hour or two and then push it carefully into a candy mold or a dish with interesting patterns. Use fairly thick paper to avoid tearing. Remove from mold to finish drying.

3. Dyed Paper: Add 1/2 teaspoon of food coloring per page or 1/4 teaspoon of artist acrylic paint per page. 1/4 teaspoon of fabric dye or flowers and leaves used in varying amounts can also be used.

4. Sized Paper: (Less likely to "bleed" when using ink or paint on it.) Try either method below.

a. Add 2 teaspoons cornstarch to 1 cup of hot water. Stir thoroughly and use 1 tablespoon mix per page.
b. Add 2-3 drops white glue to 10 cups of pulp water. Stir well.

5. Vary Your Molds:

a. Build a square wooden frame.
b. Use plastic or metal embroidery hoops.
c. Stretch your screen over a five gallon pail for large round sheets.
d. Use hollow cookie cutters to control shapes.

6. Embedded Paper: Add flowers or thin objects to a thin, damp sheet of paper. Then make another sheet and use rolling pin or iron to press it onto the first sheet.

7. Greeting Cards Or Wall Hangings:

a. Fold a rectangular sheet of paper and decorate it with an appropriate greeting before sending it to a friend.
b. Pour a sheet of paper without using a shape control. The edges will be irregular. Then, cut out a picture you like and glue it to the paper. Attach a ribbon for hanging.
c. Pour an irregular sheet as directed above and make a collage on it using other colors and textures of paper. Give it to a friend or hang it for your own viewing.

There you have it; a way to get even with those disgusting people who send you tons of unsolicited junk mail every year. You might even be able to come up with a way to sell your creative paper product back to them and make a profit.