Recycle Paper at home

• Shred the waste paper (a minimum of 2 kg of paper is needed) and soak it overnight in water.
• Blend it in a mixer-grinder with a paste of fenugreek (methi) seeds. For colour, add natural colouring agents like Kumkum, Turmeric powder (Haldi), etc.
• Put water in a pan with a wire- mesh (roughly made net of waste wires) inside.
• Pour a cup of the blended paper pulp over the mesh and spread it evenly.
• Lift the mesh and drain the water.
• Place the mesh on one side of an open newspaper and close the newspaper.
• Carefully flip the newspaper so that the mesh is on top of the pulp.
• Press a flat wooden board on the newspaper to squeeze out water.
• Open the newspaper and take out the mesh.
• Keep the newspaper open for drying. You can decorate it with dried leaves or flower petals or other waste material like demin pieces and cotton rags to make a funky greeting. These leaves and petals can be spread on the sheet while it is wet.
• Once dried, peel off the sheet from the newspaper.
• Lightly iron the sheet under a piece of moist muslin cloth. It will make the paper flat and removes crush.

This way you can make colorful, crushed and unique gift papers, greetings and paper bags. You can also make moulded paper containers by soaking shredded paper in water mixed with any adhesive (diluted). The soaked paper pieces can be placed around a vessel and dried. The vessel can be removed to get the moulded paper containers. So try this and add volume to your craft collection...

By Shilpy Arora