There’s something very satisfying about taking what most people would throw away and turning it into paper you can actually use.
This batch started as nothing more than scraps and shredded bits — the kind of thing that would normally end up in the bin without a second thought.
Add water, a lot of pulping and some patience, and those shreds slowly become paper again.
I ended up with sheets in all kinds of textures and shades. Some were soft and pale, others had a warmer, almost kraft-paper look. And, as usual, once I had the paper in front of me, I had to figure out what to do with it.
Some became little bundles of note cards tied with twine. I made a few heart shapes. And some found their way into a tiny hand-bound art journal with a hot air balloon print on the cover.
That may actually be my favorite part of making recycled paper. I never quite know what I’m going to get, and I don’t necessarily know what I’m going to make with it when I’m finished.
Something that looked like a pile of scraps suddenly becomes something worth keeping.
And I think that is reason enough to keep making paper.