top of page
01
Shredding paper. We didn't have a paper shredder so the easiest way was cut the paper into strips then cut it into small pieces. Let them soak in water over night before we turn into paper pulp.
02
Paper Making Day. It was when we realised that some of the paper that we used weren't suitable. We didn't have enough pulp and realised that thicker paper or magazines are not as suitable to be converted into pulp if we are going to shred it manually. We tried to remove as much as we can but it was too labor-intensive and we just decide to try it out. We also added toilet paper - thank you cleaner auntie for your generosity.
03
Paper Making
1. Dip the frame into the paper pulp + water mixture and scoop.
I had to try a few times as sometimes I missed out a spot. The colourful paper turned out quite interesting too, with specks of different types of paper. It was quite difficult trying to manually tear those bigger pieces even after soaking but it's okay, part and parcel of experimenting. We then used a kitchen sponge to absorb excess water before transferring to a piece of cloth to dry overnight. Trust the process they say because the end product turned out better than I expected!
2. End Product
_edited.png)
The side of the paper facing the fabric turns out smooth whereas the one exposing to the air was rougher. Curiosity killed Ray so I went to find out the reason behind this phenomenon.
The side of the paper that was left to dry on the fabric became smooth because the fabric provided a flat and even surface, allowing the paper fibers to settle and compress uniformly. On the other hand, the side exposed to the air dried more unevenly as there was no surface pressing against it, which caused the fibers to shrink and warp as they dried, creating a rougher texture.
Also the rougher side absorbs more ink, making the ink appear darker. (image above: left image is the rougher side)
The end result is like a terrazzo!
We also tested drying the paper on a tissue roll. And voila, the paper dried and took the form. However it didn't last long though, the curve slowly flattens out as days pass.
Bonus
hehe :) iykyk
Reflection
I have learnt that different paper thickness and material can affect how they can be disintegrated to form pulp. Since we were using manual method to make paper pulp, we could have used thin paper and cutting them into very fine pieces to help speed up the pulp-making process.
bottom of page