The teens of TikTok are back at it again! As we all save ourselves from the pandemic by social distancing, TikTok crafters have been saving the trees from deforestation by recycling paper.

To start, you need scrap paper, a frame and some netting (there are ways to do it without this, but this makes it so much easier), duct tape or staples (to secure the netting to the frame), a blender (there are ways to make recycled paper without this too, but this makes it easier), a giant tub (bigger than your frame if you’re using one), food coloring (optional), paper towels, and water.

1) First, you picture those scrap papers as the last person who made you angry and you tear them up! You can also shred them or cut them. The smaller the pieces, the finer your final product will come out.

2) Put those paper scraps in a blender along with some water. If not, try to mush it up in your hands. Both methods produce good results. 

3) Now move that that papery “sludge” to a tub with loads more water. How long to let it sit depends on the type of paper. Normal paper can sit for 5-10 minutes, while newspaper takes quite some time, so it’s best to leave it overnight. You can add food coloring to it if you’d like, just to give your paper some color. Some people even like to add scented things to the mixture to give it smells like coffee, perfume, etc.

4) While that’s sitting, secure your netting to a frame using either stables, duct tape, or both. The size of the hole in the frame will be the size of your final product. You can use and reuse this as many times as you’d like for different pieces of paper.

5) Move the paper from the tub to your makeshift strainer. Squeeze and strain out the water from the sludge (and try not to make too much of a mess).

6) Flip the paper out of the frame strainer and onto some paper towels. You can pat off any excess water and leave it to dry at this step. In the professional paper making world, this process is called “couching” the paper.

7) Voila! Once it’s dry, you have your very own eco-friendly recycled paper. You can draw on it, color, write, or even make several and stitch them into a little book. The possibilities are endless, and the trees thank you.

Not only can the trees thank you, but The Rostrum can thank you if you want to submit your recycled paper crafts to the Creative Corner! Email your submissions to 22ricked@apps.whschools.org or 23lugon@apps.whschools.org if you want your recycled paper to be featured on the site.