First, select your paper. Feel free to use any paper you’ve made for this project–or simply using any paper currently in your recycling bin. Newspaper is considered an optimal choice.

Tear (don’t cut) your paper into thin strips. One to three inches is a good measure, but you can vary the size however you like.

To make your paper mache paste, you’ll need plenty of water, recyclable paper, and your choice of flour or white glue. If you choose flour, you will need to mix three parts flour to one part water until your mixture is uniform and smooth.

For a glue-based paste, mix two parts glue to one part warm water.

Before you begin to lay your strips of paper, be sure to have something to put them on. For example, if you want to create a mask, you may want to first shape the mask with some cardboard, a milk jug or another sturdy material. If your goal is an ornament, you might want to use a balloon blown to the size you desire.

Once you have this base, dip your paper strips into your paste and lay them onto the base. Each strip should be fully coated, so be prepared to get messy! Adding multiple layers can help, but be sure that your first layer is completely dry before adding another.

After your creation dries, you can paint it or decorate it however you like. Paper mache is great for use in piñatas, Halloween costumes, and Christmas gifts.

For your next gift or special purchase, you might consider buying one of these unique creations made by fine, handmade paper.Journals: Though all journals are mostly made of paper, handmade paper journals are highly unique, often displaying cloth or beaded covers that add an artistic style to the author’s thoughts. Typically quite exotic and bold, they are also often more durable than manufactured journals. The same sentiment applies toward handmade paper photo albums, photo frames and scrapbooks.

Bags: Rather than wasting brown paper–or even plastic–shopping bags, handmade paper bags provide a clever, beautiful alternative that is both stylish as well as eco-friendly.

Candle Holders: This is a very novel function of handmade paper, with it being such a flammable source. That said, there are some very simple, elegant designs created for holding and highlighting tea lights.

Clocks: How many of your relatives can say that they own a clock made from paper? It would surely be a more unique gift than another tie or fruit pie.

Desk Sets: From paper pads to pencil holders, the items on your desk needn’t be encased within stark cookie-cutter plastics. Why not go for a bold, batik handmade paper desk set instead?

Gift Boxes: How entertaining it would be to be gifted a handmade paper craft–within a gorgeous handmade paper box?

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!