How to Make Paper Stronger

Select a strong base for your paper. If you're making paper at home, you'll need to select a strong paper material to start. Weak material such as newspaper won't cut it. Envelopes or egg cartons are good options.

Use a pair of scissors to remove any glue or overly colorful parts of the packaging. This can ruin the consistency of your homemade paper.

Rip the paper into shreds and create a pile in front of you. Ripping is better than cutting, because it further breaks down the structure of the original paper. Tear the paper up as finely as possible; this may take several minutes.

Cut up an old piece of cloth into fine strips. These strips of fabric will provide the strength of your paper. Don't make them too large or your paper will be lumpy. If you want to make your paper a consistent color, try to find fabric that matches the paper.

Soak the paper and fabric together in water. Leave in the water for a minimum of 10 minutes and then place in a blender. Set the blender on high and blend the fiber together with 2 cups of water in short bursts until the paper is pulp. Thicker pulp will make stronger paper, but it will also be lumpier.

Pour your mixture into a waterproof container and use a paper screen to sieve through the mixture and collect the pulp. Move the screen around in the water to ensure that the paper falls evenly on every side of the screen. If your paper has a consistent thickness, it will be less likely to tear.

Remove the screen from the water and put a dry piece of fabric on both sides. Then place your paper screen between two pieces of plywood held in place by a C-clamp. Tighten until water begins to seep out and keep tightening until it stops. The more water you can remove this way, the stronger your paper will be.

Remove your paper from the screen and let it dry in the sun.