Stencils create great images with this Embossing Handmade Paper craft. A great way for kids to make homemade cards or learn about paper making.

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. After placing the wet paper on the couching pad, place the stencil on the paper where you want it to appear.
2. Place another layer of couching on top of the wet paper and repeat with the next page. Don't do more than 4 or 5 sheets at a time.
3. Then press the paper. You could press your paper between two old pieces of Formica counter top and put one of your heavier boxes on top.
4. Let the paper stand about a half an hour before removing the couching and letting it air dry. If you live in a drier climate, you may not need to leave it as long.
5. The deeper the stencil, the better the image. One parent has yet to find a way to eliminate the edges you get from the edges of the stencil other than placing a smooth sheet (of plastic?) on the rest of the paper, but then you would loose the great texture left by the deckle. Anyway take this idea and experiment and improve upon it.

Tips:

Gabby shares more papermaking tips:

• Embossing: It is easy to make custom embossing shapes with styrofoam meat trays.
• Decorations: Save the stamps on your incoming mail. Soak them off in a tub of warm water. Tip: if envelope is dark color, soak these separately from the rest, as the color may bleed and ruin stamps. Soaked off stamps can be dried for later use in the same way as couched paper or used immediately to decorate handmade paper. Put a small amount of white glue on the back of the stamp before placing it on the couched paper, as this improves adhesion.
• PROJECT: By using an emboss of the map of Italy and some U.S. Air Mail stamps, one parent made a very special Bon Voyage card for a friend going to Italy!