Making paper is easy. Making it well is hard. There are many methods and tools-- start with saving scraps of ink-free paper.
Soak it for a day or so. Blender it using a half a handful to a blender full of water. Put this pulp in a bucket.
After you blendered your scraps, you will make a thinnner suspension of your fibers in a vat of water.
You want some straining and gathering device-- this could be a nylon stretched on an embroidery hoop, or a mould (screen stretched taut across a frame, usually square) and a deckle (a screenless frame held on top of the mould against which your water sloshes and your pulp collects).
This points to the Western method of paperpermaking--there are other methods.
And there's other equipment:Twinrockers has a fun-for-kids dishpan mould and deckle, so your water, pulp, etc., all go in one device with less waste and fuss.
Grumbacher has a deep box deckle and the mould and supporting screen are strapped to the bottom using Velcro strips.
I think using toilet paper is a big waste of time, effort, and resources.
Some folks extol its immediacy -- I figure most good teachers will do the preparation required and recycling used paper is better, vs. using material with a designated function. (and I have amassed, as you can, tons of uninked pieces of paper from the office, so another white sheet can be created, or color added).
You dip your gathering device or mould and deckle into the vat (I most often use a bus tray/dishpan), below the surface of the water and lift, moving the slurrry gently from side to side across the mould to make the pulp coverage even. It has been described as "throwing the wave."
Hold the mould above the vat, tilt it, and let the excess water drip off.
Then Couching (COOCHING).
The mould is turned pulp side down on a felt/or some other absorbent material.
Paper from plant fibers..... More on this later.
INCLUSIONS
When adding inclusions such as flower petals, it is very important that the flowers are dried.
There are several methods: to dry flowers:
*hanging until dry
*a conventional flower press or cardboard, blotting paper and very heavy books
*or use your microwave: flowers layered betweeen pieces of paper towel and two microwave-safe plates
Mould Making|Akua's Endeavor|Sources on the Net|Creators on the Net|Mail Order|Reading|Making Paper Overview|Paper Bowls|Casting Notes|PaperWorks Debut| Hand Papermaking WebRing| | Making Big Paper|On the Critter |Making Paper From Hostas and Teasels|Making Paper From Arugula|Akua's Sculpture in Paper|Akua's Cards|Akua's Vessels in Paper|