HERBAL PAPER

 

Oct 3^rd is World Card Making Day and an opportunity to use a fun technique to create your own herbal paper to make cards plus a lot of other things like ornaments, picture matting, etc.

 

Once you save up some interesting used paper and gather some herbs from your garden or even recycle some potpourri, the rest is quite easy!

HERBAL PAPER:

Materials:
Used paper (no glossy finish), ripped or shredded
Herbs & flowers
Water
Shallow Tub
Blender
Screens
Sponges
Newspaper
Cornstarch

Procedure:
1. Soak the paper in a bucket of water
2. Blend the soaked paper with 1tsp cornstarch & water into slurry and pour into the tub half full of water
3. Add dried herbs & flower petals
4. Pull screen through the slurry (screen side up), lift out and let water drain away over tub.
5. Add additional pressed herbs, flowers or seeds (if desired)
6. Flip screen face down onto newspaper
7. Blot screen dry using a sponge
8. Gently lift screen off paper and cover with newspaper, flip over and let set 5 minutes
9. Gently peel paper off newspaper and place inside dry newspaper
10. Let dry overnight, then flatten paper by placing books on top

CARD IDEAS

• Glue contrasting papers and shapes together to create a unique design
• Write or type a message or stamp an image on tissue paper, soften in water and place on wet handmade paper
• Press shape into wet handmade paper, hold for a few minutes, remove and allow to dry
• Place handmade paper shape on top of contrasting handmade paper before flipping onto newspaper for an embossed effect
• Inset message into the dried handmade paper card and attach by punching holes and threading raffia or ribbon to attach
• Cut out shape in center of handmade paper card to reveal inside message

 

 

“All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.” 

Proverbs 14:23