Papermaking Chickens
Instructions No. 2399This cute decoration with the chickens on the pole was made with homemade paper. Papermaking is a great craft technique that is fun for young and old. And the best thing about it is that you can make great decorative items from the paper you have made.
This is how the chickens are made:
Grey paper = waste paper
White paper = cellulose sheets
Cut the pulp sheets and waste paper each into small pieces (one pulp sheet is enough for two papers). Put the shreds in two different containers of warm water for 1 hour and let them soak.
Using a blender or hand blender, crush each of the shreds until you have a pulpy mass. Add some cotton cellulose to the mixture and stir with a spoon. Fill a large tub with about 10-15 cm of water so that the scoop fits in and can also be swivelled. Pour the paper mixture into the tub and stir the whole thing a little.
Immerse the paper scoop frame, move it slightly back and forth and lift it slowly and straight up out of the water. The frame should drip over the tub for a few minutes.
Have 2x couching felt ready on a table.
Remove the outer wooden frame of the scoop frame and carefully place a couching felt on the wet paper. Then turn the whole thing over onto the felt and loosen the screen of the scoop frame.
Now place the second couching felt on the paper and roll everything well with the help of a rolling pin or a bottle. Remove the top felt and leave the whole thing to dry for several days.
Print out the pattern, cut it out and transfer the motifs onto the self-made paper with a pencil. Now cut everything out and glue them together with craft glue. Paint on the pupils with the Posca marker.
Cut 3 approx. 1 metre long ribbons from the jute ribbon. Weave the ribbons. Knot each end to the birch branch. Glue the two chickens to the branch with hot glue. Stick some wood wool in front of them as decoration.