How to make recycled paper at home step by step

January 23, 2025|Lucía Poyo Vallina

Making recycled paper is a really simple process that can help reduce the environmental impact of waste accumulation. As for the materials, you have nothing to worry about, since they are quite basic and it will not be a problem to get them.

Next, we explain step by step how to make recycled paper at home. If you are passionate about crafts or want to spend a good time teaching your children the importance of taking care of the environment, grab paper and pen because we start now. #PlanetFirst

How to make recycled paper

If you are interested in learning how to make recycled paper in an easy way, you are in the right place. Below, we will explain step by step how to customize and create your own sheets of paper at home. And also, don't miss other articles on our blog where we teach you a lot of crafts to recycle and improve the environment. Here are our favorites:

Necessary materials

To make homemade recycled paper you won't need too many materials. Also, most of them you can find easily at home. So it is quite an economical process.

Used white paper or the color you want.
Scissors (to cut the paper into pieces).
A blender or mortar (to crush the paper).
Water.
A bowl.
A large container.
Paper frames (one with mesh and another without it).
A couple of cloths.
A sponge.

How to make recycled paper step by step

There are many ways to make homemade recycled paper, but today we are going to teach you the simplest method for us. So, put all the materials in front of you and follow these 7 simple steps.

Step 1: Cut the paper into pieces and place them in a bowl

First, you should fill a bowl with the pieces of papethe used white. If your blender is not very powerful, it is very important that you cut the pieces of paper as small as possible so that it can easily crush them.

Step 2: Add water to moisten them

Add twice the water of paper you put in the bowl. Let the pieces of paper soak for a while to soften, then put them in the blender to crush the mixture. You can do this process with a mortar by hand, but it will be more difficult and you will need to spend more time achieving the perfect texture.

Step 3 (optional): Add pieces of colored paper

If you want to make colored paper, add pieces of colored paper. Depending on the amount you add, you will get one color or another. This is something that will depend solely on you and the finish you are looking for.

Step 4: Add the pulp to the stretchers

When the pulp is uniform, take it out of the blender and start shaping the first sheet. Place two stretchers inside a large container to avoid staining the table: the the bottom stretcher should have a screen and the one placed on top should be without a screen. Then pour the pulp and make sure all the pulp cover the stretcher screen from the bottom. The frame of the upper stretcher will prevent the pulp from spilling over the sides.

Step 5: Remove the stretcher and remove the excess water

Remove the frame or the stretcher without a screen and let the pulp dry in the open air for an hour approximately. Then cover it with a cloth fabric and turn it over to cover it on the other side as well. Use a clean sponge to press and remove the excess water.

Step 6: Let dry outdoors

Next, let it dry outdoors for a few more hours (first remove the cloth from one of the two sides). You can hang the remaining cloth on a clothesline under the sun to speed up this process.

Step 7: Separate the paper from the cloth

When you see that the paper is completely dry, separate it from the cloth that remains slowly and gently to avoid damaging it. Your recycled paper sheet will be ready. Continue repeating this process to get as many sheets as you want.

Once ready, your new sheets will be perfect for creative projects, scrapbooking, making decorations, bookmarks, or even as small photo backgrounds, thanks to their rough surface.

As you can see, the process is quite simple although it is true that the drying time is slow. However, with a little patience it will be worth it.

Other tips to keep in mind

Now that you know how to make recycled paper at home in a fairly simple way, don't wait any longer and get to work. Here are two extra tips that will also be very useful to you.

You can use practically any type of paper to make a sheet of recycled paper. However, color is important, so you should always keep this in mind.
It is not mandatory, but it is advisable to do the process during the day to be able to take advantage the sun for drying. This way the result will be more effective and you will take much less time to enjoy your new paper.