Art campers make paper, books and more @ WBCL

This week the art campers learned to make paper then constructed a book from cardboard cereal boxes and a variety of paper. We used the blender method of making paper and dipped our picture frame deckles into the pulp. We colored our paper using bright colored tissue paper with great success. The campers were able to add a variety of decorative items to the pulp before pressing all the water out and placing the page on a drying tray. Popular additives were shredded construction paper, more tissue paper, glitter, potpouri, and metalic shred. The campers figured out the best was to squeeze out the water was to stand on the newspaper we used as sponges. 
 I found great instructions and videos on this in addition to books. http://www.tutorials.com/06/0697/06971.asp video: http://video.about.com/familycrafts/How-to-Make-Paper-With-Kids.htm
Recipe: 3/4 cup torn paper--use old copier paper, construction paper, lined school paper
3 cups water--pulse in blender until well mixed
1/4 page of colored tissue paper -- add and pulse


On Wednesday we made books from cereal boxes, a project I found on the Knackids site: http://www.theknackids.com/ProjectView/Code/kn0822.aspx The campers learned about all kinds of different papers, including watermarks, and were able to put samples of 5-6 into their books. We added lined paper so they could make notes as journal. As you can see above the cover even got artwork.

The Arts mini-camp is held at the Wells Branch Community Library and taught by Dianne Koehler.