First, gather up all of your grass clippings. You’ll need between six to ten cups of them. You may want to do this right after you mow the lawn, which is probably the easiest way to gather grass.

Add the clippings to a large pot, fill it with enough water to cover the grass, and mix in a half-cup of washing soda or baking soda. Allow this mixture to cook for an hour. (If you have plenty of time, letting the grass soak overnight in cold water first can loosen it up even more, making it easier to work with.)

Like you would do with other paper pulps you might create, pour your mixture into a blender and blend until it’s of a smooth, uniform consistency. Then you’ll follow through with the steps you used in making homemade paper from recycled paper.

Remember that you may have to play around with the consistency to get the thickness that you want. For variation, long prairie grasses and dried straw work as well.

Be sure to clean out all of your instruments and containers immediately, as this project can start to smell if left to sit for a long period of time!

If you plan on using your paper for stationary or other writing purposes, you will want to make it ready for ink use. To prevent ink from soaking into your new paper, simply add two teaspoons of liquid starch into your paste mix and stir it well.

Next, immerse your preparation frame into the paste, with the screen on the bottom. While it’s covered with the pulp, make it as level as possible, and slowly move the frame back and forth until there is an even layer of pulp covering the top of the screen.

Once you have this layer, slowly pick up the frame, until it is hovering just above the sink or basin.  Smooth out any areas that are still chunky or lumped together. Allow the screen to drip over the basin; once the water is drained, your new paper will begin to form! At this beginning stage, it is still possible to remove from or add to your paper-paste mixture to create the thickness you want.

Once the frame is dry, place a t-shirt or another form of soft fabric on top of the newly-formed paper and press down to release any water still in it. You can also press out excess water with a sponge.

Once your paper is completely dry, it’s ready to leave the frame. Very gently, remove the fabric; your paper should stay attached to the fabric instead of the screen. Once the screen and the paper are separate, without removing the fabric, arrange the paper on a flat surface to allow it to dry.

Do not remove the cloth until the paper is fully dry. Once it has reached full dryness, gently peel it away from the fabric. Your new sheet of paper is complete and ready for use!

Clean up your paper before you begin.

You’ll want to remove any stickers, staples, plastics, or anything else you can from the paper.

Though it’s not completely necessary, soaking your paper in water will make it much easier to work with. Presoak your paper for at least a day for the best results.

Once your paper has soaked, tear it up into very tiny pieces–as small as you can manage. If you’re making the paper with a child, this is a great step he or she can help out with. Once it’s all torn up, fill up a blender to the half-way mark with your shreds of wet paper; then fill the rest of the blender with warm water.

Start blending your mixture on slow, and gradually increase the speed until it’s an even color and well-mixed, which should about half a minute. Once you are finished, it should contain no remaining shreds of paper; your mixture should be one big uniform paper shake!

Next, fill up a sink, plastic basin, or other container with water. Be sure that your paper preparation frame will fit into the container before using it. Add your “shake” to the water in the container and stir it up until it has an even consistency. You may not need to add all of it; if you want a thick paper, go ahead, but if you’re after a thinner variety, like printer paper, simply add enough to make a thin mixture. You’ll want to try this step out a few times to determine which thickness you prefer.

Homemade paper makes a very personal, unique addition to your stationary–as well as a beautiful gift. Since it’s acid-free, it’s also great for people who like to do scrapbooking. Results are also typically of high quality, perfect for elegant invitations, thank you cards and announcements.

Making your own paper is also a great way to reduce waste through recycling. Handmade paper is very eco-friendly, and requires 50% less energy than commercially produced, non-recycled paper. You can make your own paper out of a variety of paper wastes that you already have on hand, such as discarded newspapers, files, and homework assignments.

To make your own paper, you’ll need a preparation frame. You can easily make your own, or purchase one from a craft or hobby store.

To make your own, get a window or other fiberglass screen and stretch it over a wooden frame. An old photo or art frame will work, but feel free to create your own out of scrap wood if you prefer. Staple the screen to the frame to secure it as tightly as you can.

The size can vary; it should be as big as the size of paper you want to make. You may wish to measure some paper–notebook paper, for example, or the size of printer paper you prefer–first and then create your frame based on that. After you are comfortable making paper, you may even wish to make a few different sizes for different paper projects.