How to Make a Paper Log
- 1). Lay out two or three whole sheets of newspaper flat on a table. Using these sheets as the base layer, add more scraps, sheets and pieces of paper evenly over the surface until the stack is about 1/2-inch thick.
- 2). Place two or three more whole newspaper sheets over the top of the paper stacks to sandwich the smaller scraps.
- 3). Wear rubber gloves if you don't want to get newsprint on your hands. Place the dowel/rod/broom handle along one of the shorter edges of your paper stack. Lift up the edge of the paper stack, grasping the upper and lower newspaper layers firmly to trap all the scrap paper layers, and roll it around the dowel.
- 4). Continue to roll the stack of paper around the dowel as tightly as possible until the whole sheet is coiled around it. Use two or three paper-covered twist ties to secure the roll in place.
- 5). Fill a bucket with water and submerge the paper roll (still attached to the dowel). Let the paper soak in the water for about five minutes, then remove it.
- 6). Squeeze as much water as you can from the soaked paper roll using your hands (work outside or over a sink). As well as speeding up the drying time, this compacts the paper and makes the log denser.
- 7). Leave the paper log in a warm, sunny spot until it is dry enough for you to remove the dowel from the center. Leave the twist-ties in place and allow the log to dry for at least a week before using it.
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