9 Joy-filled Artists & Papermakers Using Recycled Paper Pulp
making handmade paper made from scrap paper
Paper waste is a never-ending horror of cascading material found in your mailbox, offices, schools, and eventually landfills 😱. So, it makes a ton of sense for hand papermakers and artists to turn paper scrap waste into paper pulp, and use it for pulp paintings, glorious handmade papers, fancy-pants furniture, and lots more.
These are 9 hand papermakers and artists who are doing stellar work with recycled papermaking, that I thought you’d be inspired by. It’s a mix of visual artists, small businesses, and designers who all have their own one-of-a-kind take on how they magically transform paper waste into the beacon lights of joy we all need more of, i.e., creative handmade papers 😂.
Okay, in no particular order:
Rag Tag Paper
Rag Tag Paper is a textile and paper recycling initiative from Cave Paper that partners with other businesses to transform your business waste into handmade paper. Way to rock, Cave Paper! 🎸
Claudia Borfiga
Pulp painting is where you have paper pulp of different colors, and pour/squeeze/spoon it to making a painting made of paper. If you want to see this simple approach taken to THE NEXT LEVEL, you gotta see Claudia Borfiga’s pulp paintings, they are so lovely!!! Great colors, and even better movement and forms. Plus, meadows are the best—way more interesting to pulp paint than a yawn-inducing lawn.
The Mobile Mill​
The Mobile Mill is a traveling paper studio that uses handmade recycled papermaking as a way to engage with communities.
Crea-re Studio​
Based in Spain, Maria Fite makes these amazing paper pulp lamps, some from old newspapers. They’re beautiful.
Mikayla Patton​
Mikayla Patton is a visual artist and dual citizen of the United States and the Oglala Lakota Nation, who pulps paper because of the symbolism and physicality, making these incredible paper pulp sculptures and more.
Porridge Papers​
100% recycled cardboard handmade paper? Mmm. I’m there for it, y’all. Porridge Papers is a Nebraska-based paper mill and letterpress studio that makes the coolest line of papers from recycled sources.
Thomas Barger​
Did you know paper pulp is hot in the sustainable design world? Thomas Barger knows the NYC recycling schedule by heart—and makes artistic pulp furniture.
White Dragon Papers​
From hobbyist papermaking, to Etsy shop, to a great indie business providing handmade paper products made from recycled, eco-friendly fibers.
Bat Flower Press​
Beauty + function! This is a hand papermaking studio by Natalia Woodward that uses local fibers to make NoWaste handmade papers.
There’s so many more hand papermakers out there who are using recycled materials to make their work—so take a look around on the internet, and keep that curiosity door open, y’all.
Ready to try recycled papermaking?
You’re in luck!
I have a free beginner tutorial that TONS of folks have followed to easily make paper.
Here’s how to make handmade paper from recycled materials »