DIY 365: Handmade Paper and Paper Pulp Molding

This is a great project to do with kids. In fact, I did it with my preschooler on one of the days that his brothers had school but he didn't. With three kids in school, we generate a LOT of scrap paper. Of course, handmade paper is super easy, but even easier is paper pulp molding.

Paper pulp stars on our handmade paper

We started out with several sheets of used notebook paper and a couple of sheets of used copy paper. Notice the bright blue sheet at the bottom. There's an important reason to include this one. It's what gives the finished product it's beautiful light blue color. The more vibrantly colored the paper you include, the more color your finished paper will have. And, of course, the more colored paper you include, the more intensely colored your finished paper will be.

Then we tore it into small bits. You could also use shredded paper. If you do, make sure you remove any plastic windows from envelopes (if you shred them).

Next we put it in the blender and let it soak for a few minutes, maybe 20 minutes. Then blend until you get a slurry. At this point you could add flower seeds, crushed flower petals, bits of fiber (e.g. yarn or finely snipped pieces of fabric). If you're making it just for molding, you could add glitter or bits of foil.

If you're making paper, put the slurry in a large pan and add water. Stir to combine. (If you're just molding the pulp, skip ahead.)

You'll need a screen of some sort to make the paper. I've seen mesh splatter screens suggested, but the ones I found were too big for my largest pan. Instead I used my makeshift screen from when I made paper years before: a large picture frame encased in pantyhose. Inelegant, but it works!

Slide the screen into the slurry mixture, then slowly bring it out, making sure you have a good layer of pulp on the screen. Place it on an absorbent towel. Place another towel on top of the pulp. Using a sponge, blot the top. The point is to remove as much water as possible. Peel the top towel off and set aside to dry. This is a good project to make in winter, when it's really dry, especially if you have a fireplace or wood stove that sucks even more moisture out of the air. It took about 6 hours for our paper to dry in front of the fireplace. I have seen suggested that if you're impatient, you could use a heat gun to speed drying, but seeing as how my screen was pantyhose (nylon) that might melt, I didn't think that would be a good idea.

There wasn't really enough pulp to make a second sheet of paper (nor did I have another screen), so we made paper pulp stars. If you thought making the paper was pretty easy - and it is - paper pulp molding is even easier. If you have leftover slurry, like we did, scoop some out in a mesh strainer and let it drain until it's thick, then put a small amount in a mold. We used a star-shaped candy mold, but you could also use fun-shaped ice cube trays. I once made a paper pulp wreath out of a gelatin mold container.

Just as with the handmade paper, place a towel on top and blot with a sponge. Fill with more pulp if needed, then blot again. When done, place in a safe place to dry.  When they're dry, pop them out of the mold.

You can use them to embellish scrap book pages or handmade cards, if you're so inclined. If you embed a string in them while you're molding them, you have a nifty garland with no sewing, threading or fuss.

DIY 365: Brown Paper Flowers

Fair warning, this is an image-heavy post.

In going through my crafting cabinet, I discovered a pile of brown paper. This was probably some that was crumpled up as padding in a package. It could have gone into recycling (and part of it may still - there's a lot of it), or it could become something beautiful.

From this:

to this:

I started out by gathering some circle templates. Okay, my templates were really a Danish cookie tin, a small coffee can and an empty vegetable can, but you know...

Then I traced the circles onto the brown paper.

Then I cut them out.

At first I was just going to use them as is, but the smooth edges just didn't look right to me. They didn't look "natural," so I got out my deckle edging scissors and snipped away.

The original directions I found called for folding, then rolling, then gluing folded circles onto the rolled paper, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't make it come out looking like a flower. It just looked like rolled-up paper.

I started playing around with shaping the whole pile of one size into a flower shape and realized it could work if they were attached in the middle. Out came the needle and thread and the first one was stitched together.

A word about sewing on paper. Be very, very careful. Unlike fabric, you can't sort of push the fibers back together to cover up a hole. Once you poke a hole, it's there forever. Tension can also be tricky, since if you pull too hard, you can tear the paper. Learn from my mistakes. Seriously.

After the circles were sewn together, I started scrunching up each layer.

I kept until all the layers were scrunched together.

Now, you may have figured out by now that I like options, so there are a couple of ways you could go with these. You could leave them all scrunched up, and you end up with a sort of rosebud-looking flower.

Or you could gently fold out the layers a little to get the pretty flower at the top of this post.

Another option is to attach a button in the center when you sew the circles together. Shank buttons work best, and it would be a great way to use all the odd-colored lone buttons in your button jar.

If, however, you decide to do the rosebud approach, you may wish to skip the button, since it won't be seen.

You remember I had three sizes of circles? Each circle yielded slightly different results. The two above were the smallest circle (the veggie can) and yielded flowers that fit nicely in the palm of my hand.

The middle-sized circles (the small coffee can) yielded flowers about the size of my palm.

This one incidentally also used smooth-edged circles. I got so caught up in making the flowers I forgot to deckle the edges!

The largest circle (the cookie tin) yielded a very large two-handed flower.

Of the three sizes, I think I prefer the small and medium sizes. I felt like the large size was difficult to get to look like anything other than a pile of wadded paper.

Stay tuned for what's next with these flowers!

DIY 365: Cold Care Bath Salts

We're well into cold season, and while no one here is currently suffering, I thought I would share something that I keep on hand just in case: Cold Care Bath Salts.

I wish I could make this scratch 'n' sniff!

This was inspired by some bath salts I got in a "cold care" bath set years and years ago. The next time I went to get some, it had been discontinued. I love this because it's so easy, and it really helps ease the misery. Did I mention it's easy?

Just two ingredients, really. Epsom salts and eucalyptus essential oil. The Epsom salts in a hot bath help ease muscle ache, and the eucalyptus oil mixed with the steam of the bath helps clear sinuses (it's the same scent that gives Vicks Vaporub its olfactory punch).

Beyond cold season, you could change up the essential oil with other scents. Think lavender for calming, rose for a romantic bath, citrus for invigorating.

Cold Care Bath Salts

Materials:
1 cup Epsom salts
30 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Small jar

Measure Epsom salt into jar, then carefully add oil. Close lid and shake to mix.

To use, put several tablespoonfuls into a hot bath and relax.

DIY 365: Crochet Bookmark Cuff Take 2

I'm totally hooked on these crochet bookmark cuffs now (pun intended). (For more about them, here's the original post.)

This one used a stitch pattern from my favorite book of stitches, the aptly named Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches. I originally checked this book out from the library, and I rechecked it out so many times that they refused to renew it for me any more. When I found a copy on a table of remaindered books at a local store, I snapped it up, and I've been using it ever since. If you ever want to try a new stitch pattern, there are plenty!

This stitch is called acrobatic stitch. For variation, I used a brown enamel button and took advantage of the built-in open space of the stitch for a closure.

You could probably use any stitch you like to create these bookmark cuffs, but I think the openwork stitches look the best. You could also extend the pattern to create a choker.

DIY 365: Crochet Bookmark Cuff

Have you ever started a project with one thing in mind, then it sort of changes into something else? That’s what happened with this project. It started out as a bookmark, but I loved the way it looked as a fabric.

The best part is that it can still be used as a bookmark. The beauty of this is that you can put it on as a bracelet while you’re reading, so you don’t have to worry about losing your bookmark.

I started my crocheted bookmark orgy with a couple of patterns I found on the internet. However, I soon found that most of the patterns on the internet call for size 10 crochet thread. While I do have quite a bit of size 10, I also have quite a bit that are different sizes. Being in a somewhat creative mood, I made my own pattern for a bookmark using some of this other-size thread, in this case size 20.

You could adapt this for different size threads. There’s a handy chart matching thread size with the appropriate size steel crochet hook over at crochet.about.com. 

V-Stitch Trellis Bookmark Cuff

Materials:

Cotton crochet thread size 20

Steel crochet hook size 9/1.4 mm

Bead or button
Sewing  needle

Ch 21

Row 1: Sc in 2^nd ch from hook. Sc across.

Row 2: Ch 4. Turn. *Skip 2 sc. (Dc, ch 1, dc) in next sc. Ch 1. Rep from * 4 times. Skip next 2 sc. Dc in last sc.

Row 3: Ch 4.Turn. *Skip next ch-1 space. (Dc, ch 1, dc) in next ch-1 space. Ch 1. Rep from * 4 times. Skip next ch-1 space. Skip top ch of turning chain. Dc in next ch of turning chain.

Repeat Row 3 until long enough to fit around arm.

Finishing: At the end of last row, ch 1, turn, sc in next 8 stitches. Ch 10 (or enough to fit around bead or button). Skip next 3 stitches. Sc in next 9 stitches. Weave in ends. Sew bead or button around posts of center v-stitch of 2^nd row. Weave in ends.

DIY 365: Copycat Smart Ones Santa Fe Beans & Rice

Apologies for missing a day. The project I was working on yesterday didn't quite come out, so you get a recipe instead. Oh, and another project coming later tonight.

My youngest son is allergic to wheat and eggs. This really limits the kinds of frozen dinners he can have. His favorite is Smart Ones Santa Fe Beans & Rice. I decided to re-create this. The result was pretty successful, not to mention dirt-cheap.

Like most beans and rice recipes, this one is a basic template. You can vary it according to your tastes and what you have on hand. I used white rice for cooking time, but you could use brown rice for increased nutrition. You could also substitute seasoned black beans for the chili beans. The original has green peppers, and sautéed peppers and onions would make a great addition, but my son doesn't like them.

Santa Fe Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
1 (15-ounce) can chili beans
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, or more to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. When done add beans with liquid, sour cream and corn. Heat through. Top with cheese and serve. Makes 4 servings.

DIY 365: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

It's been cold here. I mean really cold - holy cow, it's cold! - cold. One of the best things about a bitterly cold day is hot cocoa.

After Christmas, we had a bunch of peppermint candy. Calling them candy canes is a bit generous at this point.

One of my favorite cold-weather treats is hot cocoa with a candy cane stirrer. The peppermint candy wasn't suitable for stirring, but it was perfect to turn into peppermint hot cocoa mix.

To start, I smashed the peppermint candy. Put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag, and put it on an old cookie sheet before beating it with the flat side of a meat mallet.

This is good therapy!

 Out of the eight-ish candies, I ended up with about 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint. It doesn't have to be powdered - more on that later.

Next, I made the hot chocolate mix. My favorite recipe is from Favorite Brand Name Gifts from the Christmas Kitchen (1998, Publications International), available from Amazon here. I like it because it doesn't call for chocolate milk mix. It's nonfat dried milk, sugar, non-dairy creamer, cocoa and a pinch of salt.

Now, the recipe stops here. But I add an extra step. I toss it in my Magic Bullet.

I truly love my Magic Bullet. This is the secret weapon that turns homemade mix into super-fine, perfectly mixed hot cocoa mix. It's also the reason I didn't worry about pulverizing the peppermint into powder (how's that for alliteration?). The end result is comparable to commercial mix in texture.

Put it in a pretty jar to give as a gift or keep it for yourself. Use 1/4 cup of mix per 8-ounce cup of how water. Add mini marshmallows to make it extra special.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

Adapted from Favorite Brand Name Gifts from the Christmas Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Working in batches, blend in a small blender (such as a Magic Bullet) or mini chopper until fine and no large chunks of peppermint remain.

To make one serving: Put 1/4 cup mix in a mug and add 6 to 8 ounces of hot water. Stir well. Top with miniature marshmallows, if desired.