Contributed by: Tina from Texas

The easiest place to get the paper molds is Mormon Handicraft. I believe you could call them and order it over the phone if you need to. I've been told that there are several other Craft shops in Utah that sell the Temple paper molds. I don't know since I'm in Texas.

As for the paper recipe, a couple of notes. My mother in law had to adjust the amount of baking powder. My Mom just did them last week and found she had to try several different brands of toilet paper before finding the "best" result. She also found that she had to spray her mold before every use and blot it with a paper towel. (When we did mine, we only sprayed the mold about every 3-4 times. Anyway ... here's the recipe:

Cotton Press Instructions

Toilet paper (the cheap stuff works best)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pam no-stick spray
Acrylic spray

Cotton press mold
Large bath towel
Hot pads
Microwave
Blender
Large bowl
Sink strainer


Spray molds with Pam spray then rinse in warm water and blot with paper towel to get excess residue off. Important tip -- only spray the molds once after 8-10 uses. If you spray the mold for each cotton press mold you will have oil spots.

Fill a blender 3/4 full of water and add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Very loosely wrap the toilet paper around your hand about 12 times. Place the toilet paper in the blender. Blend well for 10-20 seconds. Set the strainer in a large bowl. Dump the mixture into the strainer (set in a large bowl) and let the extra water drain out.

Put toilet paper into mold. It needs to be soupy. Pat until evenly distributed. The toilet paper needs to be flat across the top not mounded. It also needs to be fairly thick or the molds will tear when you try to take them out.

Use the towel and get as much extra water out of the mold as possible. This takes a lot of elbow work. Press on mold very firmly to get a good picture. You know it is ready to cook when you can press hard with your finger on the toilet paper and no water is seen. If you do not get them dry enough with the towel, they will not dry properly and will stick when they cook.

When as much as possible of the water is out then you put it into a microwave oven for 2 1/2 to 5 minutes, depending on the strength of the microwave. You can tell the mold is dry by touching the center; it should not feel damp and the edges of the mold will pull up easily. Pop out the mold using a butter knife if needed. (If you are having trouble getting the mold out, it may not be fully cooked. If this happens, cook it in additional 30 second increments until it is finished.) If you cook it too long you will burn it so be careful. (Brown spots will appear if you have burned it.)

The best brand of toilet paper to use is MD. This paper seems to give the whitest molds. Any toilet paper, EXCEPT Charmin, is useable, but MD is the whitest. Any brand of baking powder works fine. (I have not been able to find MD here in Texas, so I just used the cheapest brand I could find. I think the Scott brand also works fine, but it's one of the more expensive brands.)

Other Tips:
Coloring Pulp: Any dye may be used. Dissolve a few drops of powder or liquid in very warm water. Add a few drops in blender and mix for 10-20 seconds. Keep repeating until desired color has been reached. Word for the wise, the dyes will stain molds and may come off when you do other cotton press pictures. So don't try this on someone else's mold. The best thing is just to buy a different color of toilet paper.

Storing: The pulp or water can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. (Just be sure to tell the family not to eat it. :>)

Reusing: If a project gets damaged, dirty or you did not like the way it turned out, add water in a blender and mix in blender and remold. There is no need to add more baking powder. Do not try to use burned molds, just throw them away.

Decoration: Glitter paint, acrylic paint, pastel chalks, powder eye shadow and blush work well. Before using watercolor paints or felt pens or any paint or chalk be sure to test on back of mold to see if it is the color you want. If you are not framing your mold, you will need to spray it with clear acrylic spray. (We made ornaments and didn't spray them with clear acrylic spray. I don't know what difference this will or will not make.)

Alternative Drying Methods: Microwave dry for 2 1/2 to 5 minutes. Or, bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 150 to 200 degrees. Or, leave the mold out overnight. (Leaving the mold out does not work in humid climates, they literally mold.) Or, let the mold dry in the sun. (This also doesn't seem to work well in humid climates.)