Participants will:
- Make their own paper from scrap
- Discuss processes of recycling different materials
Participants will develop:
- Understanding of the paper-making process
- Understanding of recycling
Before you start
This activity requires advance preparation.
Make a paper mulch by mixing torn-up scrap paper, shredded paper, or old newspaper with watered down PVA. Leave this to soak and then divide it into separate washing up bowls, or similar sized containers, and add paint or food colouring to make different colours of mulch.
Use a handheld blender to make finer mulch.
Make wooden frames or take the glass out of a photo frame and attach fine mesh to one side of the frame by stapling it on.
Ask the Pioneers to wear old clothes for this session. You will also need newspaper; absorbent cloths; and materials to decorate the paper such as flower petals, glitter, leaves, coloured threads, paper bits from a hole punch etc.
If doing activity inside, cover tables with tablecloths and lay out newspapers and cloths for the newly made paper to dry on. If doing outside, lay newspapers on the ground.
Materials
Scrap paper/shredded paper/old newspaper, PVA glue, water, paint, food colouring and washing up bowls for the mulch; wooden frames or old photo frames, fine mesh for the paper-making frames; newspaper, absorbent cloths and table coverings for the new paper and mess; extra craft bits for decoration e.g. flower petals, glitter, leaves, coloured threads etc.
What to do
- Explain how the mulch was made (you could demonstrate blending one colour) and what it was made from.
- Invite each Pioneer to fill a frame with mulch. They do this by dipping the whole frame horizontally into the mulch, shaking the frame to remove excess liquid and pulling it up gently so that the water runs out through the mesh leaving a layer behind.
- Use the newspaper and cloths to squeeze out some of the liquid and then delicately turn out the newly formed paper onto newspaper.
- Add flower petals, glitter, leaves, coloured threads etc to the wet paper for decoration and leave to dry (possibly collecting it the following week). Repeat the activity as time and materials allow.
Discussion Questions
- What would have happened to the scrap paper if we hadn’t used it for the mulch?
- What uses are there for recycled paper?
- What other materials can we reuse / recycle ourselves? How?
- What materials can be collected and reused / recycled?
- How can we find out what’s collected near us?