kids papermaking class art and crafts in Castlerock Coleraine

Kids classes in traditional paper-making

I am now 3 weeks in to a paper-making course with some of the P3, P4, and P5 kids from Ballyhackett Primary school and we are all having great fun, just have a look!

papermaking equipment for kids craft class castlerock coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine

The kids know all the equipment they need and how to set out their tables to be ready to work. Mostly they work in pairs taking turns drawing out each sheet of paper, turning them onto the couching cloths and then absorbing excess moisture with a sponge before removing the mold.

Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine
Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine

This week the kids coordinated with their partners as they choose what colour paper they made. After making a couple of sheets with recycled shredded office paper and coloured napkins, they started to add textures to their vats from an assortment of things I brought along. The glittery stars were very popular. We also had wool, dryer lint, dried artichoke fibre. The children experimented with the materials and saw how they effected the texture of each sheet as they drew sheets from the vat.

Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine

Paper-making is such a tactile process and changing the makeup of the vat after each sheet allows the kids to get a feel for what textures they like as well as observing the changes in colour and thickness of the sheets as the makeup of the vat changes. A further stage is learning how much pulp to add after each sheet is drawn to maintain a desired consistency, and then documenting favourite recipes by proportion so they can be repeated.

Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine
Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine Kids making paper at art and craft classes in Castlerock Coleraine

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Julia Frizzell April 12, 2012 at 2:13 am

My two girls really enjoyed the paper-making and brought home lovely, individually crafted, sheets of paper.

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Cary Jossart May 26, 2012 at 12:26 pm

Niall thoroughly enjoyed the paper making, and came home with beautiful sheets he and we are so proud of. He told us all about the process and is keen to try it at home…hmmmm….not sure we’ll produce same results but lovely!

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