Making paper

Belle made paper the other day. Not the green stuff but the recycled kind. Here's what you need: scrap paper (various colors), blender, duct tape, 1 cm chicken wire, metal door screen, spoon and cup. Assemble screen. Tear scrap paper into small pieces and put a handful into a blender with 1/3 full of warm water. Blend until scraps break down into small fibers. Spoon pulp onto the surfaceof the frame that is screen side up. Extra water will run off screen. Allow paper to air dry and then peel off. 

Belle decided to do a design on hers with the extra paper scraps. Recyling paper saves over 200 million trees each year. 

We were at a festival and they had taken the dried paper and made really cool paper lanterns with sticks. 

Here's a link to a detailed guide to making paper http://painting.about.com/od/artsupplies/ig/How-to-Make-Paper/index.01.htm

crayon making

Make new crayons from recycled ones!

Yes, you and the kiddies can make crayons. Too easy. Take the wrappers off your broken crayons, place them in greased muffin tins. Place in a 275 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Pour into lightly oiled (they pop out easier) candy molds or into cookie cutters placed on a foil lined cookie sheet. Then put them in the freezer for another 10 minutes.  Instant fun and crazy colored crayons.  Great inexpensive recycled Christmas gifts.