Skill level: Beginner

You will need:

• Scraps of paper or card – the colour/s of the paper/card will determine the colour of the paper you create.
• Dried, pressed flowers
• Card blank and envelope – larger than the mould and deckle, or cut to size.
• Mould and Deckle – 18 x 12.5cm
• Sponge
• Cloth
• Flat, plastic box, larger than the mould and deckle
• Blender
• Warm water
• Whisk or spoon
• 2 pegs
• Scissors
• Craft glue – a glue that dries clear.
• Glue brush
• Tweezers (optional)

To make:

Take your scrap paper and rip into small (1-2cm) pieces, placing into the box. Pour warm water into the box, ensuring all of the paper pieces are submerged in the water. Leave for approximately one hour to soak.

Transfer the wet paper to your blender, until the blender is about half full. Top up with warm water and blend until a pulp has been created. Pour the pulp into the box. Depending on the amount of scrap paper used, you may have to do this step a few times until all of the paper has been blended.

Add warm water to the pulp mixture, adding enough water so you cannot see any lumps of pulp. Whisk or stir.

Take the mould and deckle and with the netted side on the bottom of the two (closed) frame pieces, submerge it into the water, ensuring it is covered in water and pulp. Lift the mould and deckle vertically out of the water and allow to drain for a minute or so.

On a flat surface, lay out the cloth. Open the mould and deckle, carefully flipping the paper to be face down onto the cloth.

Using the sponge, dab the back of the mesh to remove as much water as possible. Very carefully lift the mould and deckle, leaving the paper on the cloth. Peg the cloth up in a cool, dry place to allow the paper to dry overnight.

When dry, arrange your flowers onto the paper, planning the design you would like to create. You may wish to use tweezers when handling the delicate flowers.

Using the craft glue and brush, add tiny dots of glue to the back of the pressed flowers and carefully glue on to your handmade paper.

When you have finished your floral design, if desired, rip or cut your handmade paper to fit onto your card blank, leaving a small border of the card around the edge.
Add a small amount of glue to the back of your handmade paper (around the edges and a little in the middle) and place onto the card blank. Allow to dry.

Tips and ideas

• Create your own mould and deckle by using two old photo frames and some gauze.
• Don’t use shiny, coated or glittery paper as it will not blend well.
• Add items to your pulp mix such as dried flowers or unpulped pieces of paper to create different effects.
• Add seeds to the pulp mix to create seeded paper.
• Only a small amount of coloured paper changes the colour of the handmade paper you create. Experiment with different colours!
• Depending on the amount of scrap paper/card you use, will depend on the number of pieces of paper you can create from the mixture.