PAPER CASTING

By pressing the same paper pulp that you use for making sheets of paper into our papercasting molds you can do paper casting at home to make beautiful three-dimensional handmade paper holiday ornaments, very special greeting cards, gift tags, decorations for wreaths and packages, as well as framed art. Nice results can be obtained by using pure cotton sheet pulps or by using a mix of typing paper scraps, recycled greeting cards and a little cotton sheet pulp.

1. Tear It Up! Into about 1" pieces and place in either a blender or a bowl to use with your hand mixer. 

2. Fill the container with water and blend for about 30 seconds to make paper pulp.

3. Pour 1 cup of the pulp into a strainer to drain slightly.

4. Spray mold with mold release spray

5. Spread the pulp evenly over the mold with your fingers, making sure you cover the edges too. The deckle edge around the border of your paper casting add the delicate hand-made look that makes your work special. The pulp should cover the surface thinly and evenly.

6. Gently press the paper pulp into the mold with a sponge. Wring out the sponge and repeat several times. Press into all of the crevices. If a portion of your mold is deep make sure to add a little more pulp to that area.  It is a good idea to have a wet sponge or a folded towel under your mold. They are thin and if you push too hard they could break.

7. Use a towel to press the pulp firmly into the mold. It is important to press out as much water as possible. 

8. For best results let the paper dry completely in the mold. Leave it on a kitchen table with a fan pointed at it, in the sun for a few hours, or in a 150 degree oven for 3 hours or so. For faster results you can use the microwave. Place the mold with your paper casting in it in the center of the microwave oven, set on full power for 1 minute. Take the mold out of the microwave and press with your kitchen towel again. Microwave for another minute. Press with towel again. Continue until the paper is completely dry and pops out. Watch it closely if you do it too long it will scorch.

9. Scrub the mold with hot, soapy water and a vegetable brush, to clean and to prevent fiber build up that might result in sticking in subsequent castings. If you are not pleased with the way your paper casting looks simply TEAR IT UP and put it back in the blender with some water and start again.

Now you can paint and decorate your work!

It isn’t really necessary to "size" paper castings before painting them, but you may want to size your paper to produce a harder, less absorbent surface on which to write or paint. To do so, mix equal parts of white glue and water, and paint the mixture on the area you wish to size. Allow to dry completely before proceeding. If you choose to paint your paper castings it is easier to do this before you glue them to cards or assemble them as ornaments. You can use a variety of paints. Experiment to get the look you want. Watercolor paints can produce bright, intense colors when used thick and diluted with just a little water. You can create softer colors using diluted watercolors. Use a semi-wet brush and go slowly, as the cast paper absorbs water quickly. Let one area dry before painting the one next to it.

Use dried, pressed flowers to decorate your paper castings and make beautiful greeting cards and framed art. Hot glue your paper castings to a card. Paint the back of a dried flower with rubber cement. Gently position the flower on the card and press firmly.

If you want to make an ornament you can hang, simply hot glue a ribbon loop to the back of your cast paper design. Identical, symmetrical designs can be glued back to back and hung.