One glance at that sprawling monster with it's gnarly, multi-colored arms is enough to kill the party spirit in me every time. I swear it must actually move around in the box between birthdays. And of course, if any of that crumpled crepe paper actually made its way to my walls and ceilings for a party, it would likely make the poor, celebrated child weep at the bedraggled sight of it.
Best just to throw it all away, right?
Well, actually...not so fast. Here's a terrific use for that colorful, fluffy mess.
To make rainbow paper, here's what you need:
- several colors of crepe paper
- scissors or a paper shredder
- a container for each color
- water
- a screen (we used an old window screen that had gotten bent out of shape)
Here's what you do:
1. Cut, rip, or shred the paper into small pieces. Mine were about 1/8 inch square, but you make them smaller or larger, depending on how delicately you would like to be able to design your paper.
2. Place the paper shreds into containers, one color for each container. Fill containers with just enough water to saturate. (If you use more, it will dilute the color of the paper)
3. Place the screen in a place where you won't mind it dripping (outdoors works well) or place paper towels under it. The color from the paper will stain so be careful!
4. Spread the soggy paper onto the screen. Make sure there are no holes in the paper and that it is a uniform thickness. You want about 1/8 inch thick (thick enough to hold together once it dries, but not so thick that it takes forever to dry)
5. Allow to fully dry before you remove from the screen.
Have fun making pictures, designs or just fun colorful paper!
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