How to Make Paper for Drawing from Old Newspapers — Scientific Adventures in the Workshop

One day, Petya and Lena decided to conduct an exciting experiment. They wanted to make paper on their own, using old things they had at home. Their mom always said that old newspapers were just waste that should be recycled. But the kids had a brilliant idea: why not turn them into something useful and interesting?

— Do you think we can make real paper from these sheets? — asked Petya, looking at the stack of old newspapers lying in the corner of the workshop.

— Of course! We’ve seen how they make paper in factories. We just need to turn them into pulp and then dry it, — Lena replied with a smile. — Come on, I’ll help you get everything ready!

The kids got to work. Lena carefully laid the newspapers out on the table, while Petya began cutting them into small pieces. He eagerly tore the pages into strips, while Lena kept coming up with ideas to improve the process. Soon, they filled a large bowl with pieces of paper, ready for the next stage.

— To make our paper soft, we need to soak everything in water, — explained Petya as he poured water from a bucket into the bowl. — That way, the pieces will soften, and it will be easier to stir.

The water quickly soaked into the paper, and now came the most exciting part. Lena took a wooden spoon and began to stir the mixture thoroughly until it turned into a thick pulp. It was not only exciting but also pretty fun!

— Look how regular pages are turning into real pulp! — Lena said, amazed by the result. — Now we need to add some glue so the paper will be strong.

Petya took the glue and carefully added it to the mixture. — This is important so that our paper doesn’t fall apart when it dries, — he explained. — It will make it even stronger!

Next, the children moved on to the next step — preparing the frame. Petya found an old picture frame and stretched a mesh over it. This mesh would serve as the base for their new paper.

— It’s going to be like a little factory! With the mesh, we’ll make the shape for the paper, — Petya said, placing the frame on the table.

Lena carefully spread the pulp over the mesh, trying to distribute it evenly. She and Petya took turns adding the mixture, creating the base for their future paper.

— Look, it’s starting to look just like real paper! — Petya exclaimed, excitedly.

Once the pulp was evenly spread, they left it to dry for a while so it would be easier to peel off the frame later. But while the paper was drying, they didn’t waste any time and started preparing for the next step — the drying process.

— Now we need to let the paper dry completely, — said Petya. — While it’s drying, we can get the paints ready for drawing. Can you imagine, we’ll be drawing on paper we made ourselves!

After a few hours, the paper was ready. Petya and Lena carefully removed it from the frame. It wasn’t completely smooth, but it was very sturdy and had a unique texture.

— We made real paper! It’s so special, — said Lena, taking a sheet in her hand to examine it closely.

— And now we can draw something beautiful on it! — Petya added, pulling out brushes and paints. — We’ve already used natural paints, so this is going to be even more fun.

When their paintings were finished, Petya and Lena were thrilled with what they had accomplished — not only had they created new paper, but also unique drawings on it. They realized that recycling could be not only useful but also fun! And most importantly, they learned how to use old materials to create something completely new and exciting.