Creating Handmade Paper: A Spring Project with Gail McGregor-Mason

At Òr, we celebrate slow, intentional craftsmanship - pieces made with care, infused with creativity, and brought to life with a mindful approach to materials. The incredibly talented Skye-based mixed media artist Gail McGregor-Mason is a perfect example of this! We caught up with Gail to learn how she transforms everyday materials into beautiful, textured paper bundles.

Passionate about eco-friendly making, she incorporates recycled materials and uses tools she already has at home—proving that creativity and resourcefulness go hand in hand. So, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get started.

 Materials You Will Need:

• Two wooden frames of the same size
• Liquidiser, kitchen blender, or food processor
• Two washing-up bowls, or developing trays
• All purpose J Cloths 
• Scissors
• Netted curtain/mesh
• Old hand towels
• Staples and staple gun
• Recycled paper, cards, and envelopes—must not be shiny/glossy.
• Food colouring 
• Rubber gloves
• Bleach

Materials For The Frames:
(Only required if you're making your own)

• Plywood

• Small hammer

• Panel pins

Paper Textures:
Choose one or two textures you’d like to include in your handmade paper.

• Shredded cotton/silk threads

• Felting wool

• Dried flowers

• Hessian string

• Shells

Step 1 — Collecting:

• Envelopes, letters, unwanted photocopy papers, newspapers, greeting cards, magazines, leaflets, anything which isn’t shiny or glossy.

• Visit second-hand shops or look online to find the items from the materials list if you don’t have them already. 

Step 2 — Making the Mould and Deckle:

• If you're making your own frames, use the plywood, panel pins and hammer to make a set of two rectangular frames which are the same size, and cover one of them with netting/mesh using the staples and staple gun. The frame size will need to fit into the inner dimensions of your washing-up bowl. The mesh-covered frame is now your ‘mould’, while the other frame is your ‘deckle’. The deckle is used to keep the paper edges straight. 

Step 3 — Making the Pulp:

• Fill a quarter of one of the washing-up bowls with ripped paper pieces, then fill halfway with boiling water and leave to soak for 5–7 days.

• Take a handful of softened paper from the washing up bowl and add it to your blender, then half-fill it with water.

• Turn on the device. Keep an eye on the lid to avoid overfilling, but ensure there is enough water to break down the paper into pulp. Switch off the machine if paper gets stuck and has to be removed from the blade.

• Fill your second washing-up bowl between a quarter and halfway with cold water. 

• Remove the pulp and place it into your second washing-up bowl. Continue until all softened paper has turned into pulp.

• Add a dash of food colouring and 1–2 textures to your paper. Start with a primary colour, as you can always add a secondary later on.

• Use one large towel for every sheet of paper you make; fold the towel and place one sheet of J Cloth on top of each towel.  

Step 4 — Making the Paper:

• Place your mould with the mesh/netting facing upwards, then place the deckle on top.

• Gently lower the two frames into the water until the pulp covers the deckle.

• Slowly lift the frames above the washing-up bowl until most of the water drains off.

• Remove the deckle, flip the mould over, and place on top of your J Cloth.

• Using a hand towel, press the back of the mesh/netting to remove excess water and gently tease the edges of the mesh/netting to remove the mould from your sheet of paper.

• If you don’t like the colour, you can always add a few drops of bleach, but remember to wear rubber gloves.

• Next, you can lift the handmade paper with the J Cloths still on and lay it flat on a drying rack.

Papermaking is about embracing imperfections, enjoying the process, and appreciating the beauty of slow, mindful crafting. We’d love to see your creations! Tag us on Instagram @or.skye.