How To Make Your Own Artisanal Rose Paper
The GC staff loves floral art and nature crafts, especially when those activities involve elements of recycling and using ingredients that kids (or adults!) can source from the garden. A fun way to repurpose old flower petals from a dying bouquet is to make artisanal rose paper, which combines the best of both worlds.
The process is pretty bohemian and effortless: simply rip up approximately four cups worth of scrap paper or anything you deem worthy of recycling, soak for about three hours in a container of hot water, mash the pulp and spread it onto a screen, and let dry. See our step-by-step instructions in the recipe card, below.
Once the rose paper is dry, try drawing on your decoupage with a fine-ink pen, or frame several pieces in a series of small picture frames and hang as wall art. Voila!
DIY Rose Paper
3.5 hoursIngredients
- 4 cups ripped up scrap paper
- seeds, dried petals, leaves, or other salvaged parts of a bouquet
- hot water
- window screen
- long plastic bin
Preparation
Place ripped up scraps in a container with with 8 cups hot water and let soak for three or more hours.
Mash the pulp with your hands (or a blender) and pour over a screen into a wide container. Add enough water so that everything is fully submerged.
Lift the screen up and gently shake the mixture (like panning for the gold). Scatter the wet pulp with flower petals, seeds, or whatever else inspires you.
Gently dab the pulp with a dry sponge to remove the moisture and press the petals in. Flip the dried pulp onto a flat surface and let dry overnight.
(Read our entire DIY Rose Paper story here.)
