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What recycled paper, exactly, do I use to make my paper?

The previous life of my beautiful handmade paper

pile of junk paper & mail

I thought it’d be interesting to show you the previous life of the beautiful handmade paper I turn into books and other paper crafts.

Most of them are old bills and statement letters sitting in my husband’s basket at home. He has been collecting them as a record for over ten years, never decluttering his collection. 

Some are advertisement letters that regularly and unsolicitedly show up in our mailbox. I’m sure you’re familiar with this if you live in the US.

I despised those junk letters, especially the ads. 

But now, there’s a good reason to embrace them.

Because they’re ‘free’ materials for making my handmade paper. They are abundant to a ridiculous degree.

Important note: My focus is on uncoated office white paper or copy paper with fewer or no pictures. This yields ideally classic white or off-white paper that isn’t too delicate. I no longer use voucher, brochure, or magazine paper to make handmade paper anymore because they make weak paper. They’re also filled with images, which produce grayish paper. Learn how I make paper here.

Okay. Now, let me give you a long list of those letters I use to make my paper:

  • Bank of America’s account statement
  • Roundpoint’s mortgage statement
  • Roundpoint’s privacy policy
  • Roundpoint’s tax document
  • Nelnet student loan statement
  • Nelnet account summary
  • Credit card’s rates & fees account agreement
  • Time Warner Cable bills
  • Vanguard’s quarterly statement
  • Vanguard’s account notices
  • Vanguard’s new account confirmation
  • Comcast bills
  • Comcast notices
  • Comcast privacy notices
  • Xfinity ads
  • Xfinity bills
  • HOA winter faucet rules & guide
  • HOA budget ratification & general meeting
  • HOA bills
  • HOA tree notices
  • HOA tree removal & replacement plan
  • Water heater company invoice
  • Former homeowner’s letters
  • Sammamish Plateau water PFCs notice
  • Annexation notice from the city of Sammamish
  • Utility bills
  • US Bank pre-qualified credit card offers
  • Capital One pre-qualified credit card offers
  • Renewal by Andersen ads 
  • Costco Wholesale ads

I hope that gives you a clear picture of my handmade paper’s past.

If you have these types of papers, instead of tossing them into the recycling bin, how about turning them into something more meaningful?