Children can recycle paper at home!

My son had a project to do for school, so we decided to make paper from our used up paper and bill envelopes. It took some time but was a really fun project for the whole family. First I had them shred up the paper into small pieces, then we soaked them in a bucket overnight in warm water. In the morning we added more warm water to the bucket and then used a blender to make it into what my son called a paper smoothie. Make sure to add water along with the soaked paper into the blender. We then needed a piece of screening, lots of towels and a piece of wood. Lay the screen on top of some towels and then pour out the paper mixture. Flatten out the best you can and then place the piece of wood on top. I had my son sit on the wood for a few minutes to squeeze out some of the excess water. Then remove the piece of wood. We used a rolling pin to make the paper flatter but make sure to add new towels underneath to collect more water. Then while still on the screen lay the paper in the sun or in a hot place and wait for it to dry. The paper came out grayish and rough but the kids were so excited to be a part of this process! Start it on a Friday and you'll have paper by Sunday! Great for a rainy weekend project!