Know what goes with both topics? Papermaking!
On Tuesday, we read The Rainbow Goblins by Ul de Rico (V is for Valley, Z is for Zig Zag) and tore up seven different colors of construction paper and added in some plain white paper from the recycling bin. Papermaking is recycling, after all! That night I soaked each color's scraps in plenty of water.
On Wednesday, each child got the chance to make a piece of paper using the ultra-easy cookie cutter method.
The Cookie Cutter Method
- several thick bath towels (3 or 4)
dish towel with a smooth weave
blender
bowl and spoon
cookie cutter
cookie drying rack
note: use OLD kitchen items that are no longer used to prepare food
1) Tear and soak your paper scraps overnight, as described.
2) Put the paper scraps into the blender, along with as much of the soaking water as is needed to blend them smoothly. Blend briefly to make pulp (it will look like a paper smoothie). Pour the pulp into the bowl.
3) Fold the bath towels and stack them to make a thick tower. Smooth the dish towel across the top (if you try to make paper directly on the bath towel stack it will stick in the loops of the texture and not release properly).
4) Place the cookie cutter of your choice on the dish towel.
5) Spoon the pulp into the cookie cutter, filling all the curves and corners of the shape but not making your piece of paper too thick.
6) Press the pulp down hard very hard with your fingers, pushing as much water as you can into your bath towel stack. Remove the cookie cutter.
7) Lift the dish towel with the piece of paper on it and carry it over to the drying rack. If you are only making one piece of paper, you can place the entire dish towel on the rack overnight. If you'd like to make another piece of paper, turn the dish towel upside down onto your cookie drying rack. Slowly peel back the fabric so that the piece of paper is lying on the rack.
yellow hedgehog, orange oak leaf, blue flower
rainbow-striped snowman!
I love the cookie cutter method! We've used it for years, including making plantable paper by stirring seeds into the paper pulp after the blender stage. In 2009 we did yellow star ornaments and in 2017 we did red hearts for valentines. Every holiday is made better with the gift of handmade paper!
You're in my heart all the "thyme."
Papermaking ties in beautifully with the Story of Written Language. We looked at dried Egyptian papyrus reeds and felt a sheet of papyrus paper. We also read The Cloudmakers by James Rumford and learned about the Chinese invention of paper made with hemp. I showed examples of other paper making materials as well, including cotton rags and elephant dung.
We also love to do papermaking as part of the Capital Letters block, specifically for G is for Goose. On Thursday, the Bobcats read Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming, which has amazing poured pulp illustrations. Each of them then made their own poured pulp artwork of G is for Goose (spooning different colors of pulp to make a picture, and using a mold and deckle as opposed to a cookie cutter) which will be their MLB illustration for the letter G. We also read Petunia by Roger Duvoisin, which is so much fun and led us to F is for Firecrackers!
from the L M N O P Laminated Wall Cards
the sturdy plastic mold & deckle I've been using with kids for years
seven beautiful colors of paper pulp!
don't forget to just enjoy touching the pulp as a sensory experience
it is wonderfully soft
pro tip: you can freeze unused pulp and thaw it for later
some of our adorable geese after they are dry
the illustrations always stain the couch sheets (backwards, of course)
I think they look so cute! I love to look back at my pile of couch sheets and see all the geese we've made over the years
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Immersive Experience
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