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step 1Gather your tools.

To be as green as possible, I cut out a few things used in other paper making instructables.

You will only need the mold/deckle, a household sponge, one “apple pallet”, a mixing spatula, and a blender.

The mold/deckle can be created using old picture frames or even just scrap wood you have lying around. To create my deckle, I used a screenprinting frame by removing the silkscreen and replacing it with a nylon-type mesh used for screen-windows. The mesh is relatively cheap and durable. For the mold, I used an old picture frame.

Any household sponge will work.

Any grocery store should have some of these “produce pallet/carton” things lying around somewhere. To save gas and time, you may want to call ahead.

If you cook/bake, you probably already have a mixing spatula in a drawer somewhere. But a word to the wise, once you use it for paper-making, buy a new one for cooking.

As for the blender, once you use it for paper-making it’s not a good idea to use it for making anything else. So if you use your blender a lot for cooking, juicing, or whatever, maybe purchasing another one at a thrift store or a yard sale would be good.

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step 2Preparing the material.

Tear up the apple carton into small pieces. The smaller the better.

Put the pieces into the blender.

Fill the blender with at least 2x as much water as pieces. Too much water is better than too little.

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step 3Blend the water and material.

Place the blending pitcher on the base and turn the blender on.

I use 2-3 different settings just to make sure the material breaks down well. Depending on how much material and water you have put together, starting out with a “chop” setting or “puree” might be best. Then use the “liquify” setting for about 30 seconds to finish the job.

The material and water mix should have the consistency of a thick soup.

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step 4Set up your mold and deckle.

This is where I cut out some of the tools needed to make this process a bit greener than the usual DIY recycling paper process.

Instead of pouring your material/water mixture into a plastic tub, set the deckle directly over a sink. It makes clean up a lot faster as well!

Once the deckle is set and level over the sink, place the mold ontop. Make sure the mold is set as straight and parallel to the deckle’s sides as possible.

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step 5Pour your mixture.

Pour your mixture directly onto the deckle, keeping it within the mold’s edges. Make sure you pour the mixture as evenly as possible.

When the mold is pretty well filled, use the spatula to smooth out lumps. Be careful not to use too much pressure when smoothing the mixture b/c the moisture will drain too fast and create lumps, which are no fun to work with!

Remove the mold when you are satisfied with the evenness of your mixture. Don’t sweat it if the mixture isn’t perfectly even.

*If the mixture is too lumpy for your liking, just scrap it right back into the blender, add more water, and blend it a bit more.

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step 6Press out the moisture.

It’s best to have a second deckle for this step but it can be done using a piece of felt.

Using a second deckle, place it on top of the mixture, so that both deckles are flat against one another.

*If you use a piece of felt, place the felt ontop of the mixture as well, and follow the next steps.

Press your sponge down with gentle force. You will hear the water draining from the mixture as you apply force. Make sure you spot-press the sponge and don’t drag it across the mesh. Dragging the sponge will pull the mixture through the mesh!

When you no longer hear the water draining from the mixture it’s ready to start drying.

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step 7Setting up to dry.

I found the fastest, and best, way to dry a newly recycled sheet of paper is to place it flat between 2 pieces of nylon mesh, preferably with the top piece having weight around its edges so the sheet dries flat.

Basically, place a scrap piece of the nylon mesh over the top of the newly recycled sheet, which is still on the deckle, flip the entire set-up over so the deckle is now ontop and the scrap piece of nylon mesh is on bottom. Be careful to keep the scrap piece of nylon mesh tight when flipping or the sheet will fall apart.

I used a craft box to place the set-up on so the deckle’s frame can weight down the edges of the sheet.

*If you used felt in a previous step, follow these same steps only replace the scrap piece of nylon mesh with the felt.

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step 8Finished products.

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TEACH SOAP is the premier site for soap making instructions, soap recipes, soap making tips and everything you’d want to know about making soap and other handcrafted products including lip balms, lotions, and more. Here is a sample of what they offer. We have left some links in the article to take you back to their site.

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There are many ways to make soap. When people talk about the soap “Grandma used to make,” they’re not talking about the pretty and colorful creations you see lining the windows of upscale salons and boutiques today. This article will discuss the basic types of soap; it is not meant to be a “How To” article on making soap. There are some great books, such as “The SoapMakers Companion” by Susan Miller Cavitch.

Cold Process Soap:

The type of soap Grandma made is called “Cold Process” soap (commonly referred to as “CP” soap). It is made by combining fatty acids and sodium hydroxide (lye) together. Fatty acids can be almost any oil – from beef tallow to olive oil to hemp oil. The combinations for making your own personal recipe are endless.

Cold process soapmaking is a combinations of an art and science. The condensed version of this type of soapmaking is that there is a certain proportion of lye (sodium hydroxide) and water to fatty acids that forms a chemical reaction called “saponifaction.” During saponification, the oils and lye mix and become soap – the process takes approximately six weeks to fully complete.

Cold process soapmaking requires the use of lye and the use of safety equipment, such as goggles and gloves. Please do not attempt to make cold process soap without researching the method thoroughly. Cold process soap is known for its hard, long lasting quality. Depending on the oils used, the bar can have great lather (coconut oil has excellent lathering properties), be incredibly mild (olive oil is renowned for its gentle qualities) or be very moisturizing (with the addition of oils, such as shea and cocoa butter or hemp oil).

View Cold Process Soap Recipes
View Easy Cold Process Recipes for Beginners New!
Where to Purchase Oils for Cold Process Soap

Melt and Pour Soap:

Technically, all hand made soap is “Glycerin Soap.” In many commercial soaps, all the extra glycerin (formed naturally by the cold process soapmaking method) is harvested out. Thus, all handmade soap is glycerin rich (since hand made soapmakers don’t harvest out glycerin in their soap).

In today’s market, the term “Glycerin Soap” is commonly used to refer to clear soap. Generally, the clear soap has extra glycerin added to it to produce a very nourishing, moisturizing bar. Glycerin is a “humectant.” It draws moisture to itself; the theory is that if you wash with glycerin soap, a thin layer of glycerin will remain, drawing moisture to your skin.

Clear soap base can be purchased in large blocks to be melted down, colored and fragranced, and placed into molds (or used to make loaves of soap to be sliced). This type of soap is called “Melt and Pour” and the artistry of melt and pour is called “Soap Casting.” Melt and Pour is gaining in popularity because of its ease of use. There are no significant safety measures (other than basic common sense – don’t put your hand in the hot soap, don’t cut your finger off with the knife etc…) needed for soapcasting. Children can do it. It’s a great outlet for creative types.

You can also make clear soap from scratch. This method involves all the aspects of cold process soapmaking, but takes it a few steps further by adding alcohol for clarity and a glycerin and sugar mix to suspend and enhance the clarity. It is a dangerous process because of the alcohol vapors. If you wish to make clear soap (which will not melt down like melt and pour – it’s one pour only soap), please read “Transparent Soapmaking” by Catherine Failor. This is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to make clear soap from scratch.

View our Melt and Pour Soap Tutorial

Hot Process Soap Making:

There are variations on the cold process method. Hot process soap is an interesting take on the cold process method. The simple explanation is that you take all your ingredients, and add them to a pot (that is then placed over a heat source, such as a stove) and stir frequently until the soap goes through various stages. The excess water is evaporated off and the soap is ready to use once cooled. For more information on Hot Process soapmaking, there are some interesting articles in The Saponifier and on Melanie Dunstan’s Web Site.

Rebatching Soaps:

Rebatching is another form of cold process soapmaking. You make your cold process soap from scratch, grate it up, place it over a heat source, in a kettle, with a little liquid (water works very well), and the mixture melts down into a mushy mess that you add colorant and fragrance too. This method is often used to preserve the scent or the healing properties of some essential oils.

Try Ready Made Rebatching Soap Base

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The principles of off grid living may be applied to any home in the world, even those currently tied to the grid.  From solar panels, hydro power and windmills, there is growing curiosity in off grid living and breaking free from fossil fuel burning power plants.  The technologies have advanced and the costs have dropped greatly.
Even do-it-yourselfers can take leaps into off grid living with many kits, resources and manuals available for instruction.  As energy demands increase globally, those living off grid can rest easy knowing their own energy costs are diminishing.

The idea of off grid living can be scary to some who believe they will have to give up some of their most prized possessions and electronic gadgets to achieve such freedom.  This is very far from the truth.  Off grid living is simply about learning to moderate your use of electricity.  It can be as simple as turning off lights that are not really in use.  Purchasing appliances that don’t use energy when not in use (like clocks on microwaves and stoves).  Learning to unplug, not just turn off.  Things like computers and printers, well anything with the little green light that is always on, these items are stealing precious energy and adding to your bill.  Wanting to become part of the off grid living adventure, doesn’t always mean giving up everything, sometimes it just means getting smarter about the things you have.

Off grid living has gotten so popular that even completely re-locatable high efficiency homes are being produced to meet those needs.  Very similar to mobile homes and travel travelers in layout and definitely only designed for a one or two person dwelling, these housing units use solar power, passive solar design and a small amount of natural gas to provide off grid living that you can take with you when you move.

If you are interested in off grid living, but need more success stories to drive you over the teetering point then start your research on the Internet.  There are tons of great resources available and individuals who took the plunge into off grid living with great success telling their stories.  Imagine, no more gathering around that one little candle when the power goes out, or having the neighbors over to watch their favorite shows when there is a blackout.  Off grid living is obtainable for anyone and you too can enjoy the life of off grid living no matter where you make your home.

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 To live off the grid, in reality, is to produce energy at your home, without using the overpriced energy supplied by your local power company. There are many ways to achieve energy independence and have a life off the grid. Two of the most popular are solar energy and wind energy.

 Solar energy is getting more and more popular due to the vast majority of the world having sunshine. Solar energy can be very expensive to set up and does require routine maintenance. There is, however, a way that you can make a solar panel at home and save yourself thousands of dollars. 

 Wind energy has been around for centuries. Due to the rising cost of fuel and the expense of buying commercial made solar systems, windmills are making a come back. The pros and cons of making a windmill can be found at the how to make a windmill site. 

 Life off the grid can be achieved, but it takes a little work. And for those who truly like to be independent, you can take this even farther by growing your vegetables, raising chickens or pigs.  All of these are excellent ways of preserving our natural resources. By having a life off the grid you are in fact deciding to save the planet, and provide a cleaner environment for all our children and grandchildren.

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Economic uncertainties, rising fuel and energy costs, and global conscience combine to make looking at solar energy a practical solution. Once reserved for the over-zealous environmentalists, solar energy is quickly gaining popularity among the general population. If you have ever considered solar energy you may have been apprehensive about installing it in your home because of the price. The demand is making this alternative feasible, and the reasons for doing it are plenty.

The biggest perk in having your own solar panel is that you are not under the thumb of the utility companies. No matter how much utility prices rise, you will be able to enjoy the sun’s energy as it heats your home and water, and provides a source of power to your appliances. We all know that utility prices are rising at an alarming rate. With the estimates of the savings with solar panels, the savings may be much higher than estimated if prices keep rising at this rate.

Solar energy is also a positive choice because the environmental impact is minimal. It is clean power, with no emissions, outages or maintenance costs. While the electric company is experience peak usage time (thus higher rates), your solar power is at peak production. In addition, you can research government sponsored rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives for installing solar powered energy. The best scenario for solar energy is producing enough energy to actually sell some back to the electric company! If you produce enough energy and have the converter, this is possible in some instances.

In addition to having solar panels, you can further lower your utility bills by making your home energy efficient. Install CFL light bulbs, use Energy Star appliances and turn off power not in use. Weather proof your windows and doors. Buy weather smart curtains to allow heat in or to keep the cold out. This combination will surprise you with the savings.

If you think it’s a stretch to install solar energy think again. Solar energy panels are easy to install. Full sun is the best. The life expectancy for the panels is 20 years. You have the option of having a technician install them, with prices expected to be about $3,000 depending on multiple factors. If you are handy, however, there is an alternative. You can make your own panels and install them for a fraction of that cost (about $200). The panels can be on the home, or on ground mounts, so there is likely a way you can make them work for you.

Solar energy will add value to your home, as well as lower your utility bills and while keeping our environment clean. With so many benefits, strongly consider adding solar energy panels to your home.

Learn how to make and install your own home solar panel. Stop wasting money on electricity that you can make for free.

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