Use caution when handling your screen. Remember, it’s made of wire and can cause a cut. If you make your own screen, you might even wish to wear protective work gloves until its edges are finished. If you cut yourself during construction, stop the project immediately and apply an antiseptic and a bandage. Be sure that the bleeding has stopped before continuing. If the cut is deep, seek medical attention.

Make your paper in a well ventilated area. While most smells are harmless, it’s always possible to come in contact with harmful chemicals if you’re not certain of your paper’s origin. Even benign but strong  smells, such as those released during making grass paper, may make some people sick. Wearing a mask can also help with this.  The best bet is to only use paper that you know has not been chemically treated. Making paper outdoors is also a good option, as it helps minimize the mess.

Use caution when handling your water. If you spill water, be sure to clean it up immediately. It will obviously cause surfaces to become slick, so walk carefully if you must walk in the water. Be sure to have some towels handy prior to beginning, and don’t work near anything electrical to avoid water damage and electric shocks.

Only use mediums that you are comfortable with. If an herb or plant or other item is a known allergen to you, do not use it. Avoid any materials that may cause irritation to your skin. You may also wish to wear gloves and eye goggles while making paper in general.

All you need is the wood of your choice (the softer the better–scrap pine wood is a good choice), a wood plane, your paper frame, bleach, a pocket knife, a blender, a basin or sink, food coloring and water.

To keep it eco-friendly, you may wish to use fallen branches around your home.

Take your wood plane and shave your wood down into small, skinny strips. Use your pocket knife to cut the strips down to very small pieces; they should each be smaller than an inch in length. Shave off the bark if you do not wish for it to show up in your finished paper.

Dump your small shavings into your blender and cover them completely with water. Blend them well until the pulp is nice and watery, like a wet powder. If you have an extra blender on hand, you may want to use that one, as blending wood can really dull your blender blades.

Add a small amount of bleach (only if you wish to make white paper; use other food colorings if you would like different shades of paper) and let it sit to soak into your mixture.

Finish as you normally would, adding your paper mixture to your paper frame within your basin, making sure it’s even all the way across the screen. After the water has been filtered out of the screen, allow it to dry as you normally would, and you’ll have your own wood pulp paper!

Give it a little color. Add some dye, powdered paint, liquid paint, tea, food coloring… From henna to smashed berries, coffee grains to kool-aid, there’s bound to be something creative you can use in your house this very moment. Experiment to see what colors you like best.

Make it touchy-feely. Adding texture to your paper can give it a very unique definition. To do this, add the items of your choice to your paper-paste before you let it dry. Not sure what to add? Anything from tiny seeds to grass, confetti to pieces of thread to glitter can work.

Write like an Egyptian. Rather than reeds, why not add some flowers to give your paper a nature look? You can use anything from moss to pieces of grass, full leaves to flower petals themselves.

Give it an eu de toilette. You may have tried scenting a love letter with some perfume you had on hand, but scented paper can be even more fun. Use essential oils, potpouri or spices to give your paper a unique fragrance.

Add your bright and shiny face. You can even put pictures in your paper. Just smooth a paper copy of a photo onto the paper-paste before draining the water from it.