Are you a person who never throws newspapers away because there are so many ways to use them? They accumulate quite quickly, don’t they? If you’ve got a fireplace, and lots of newspapers, you have all the logs you’ll need. Just turn the newspapers into new logs and you can cut down on how much you spend for cut wood this year. Or, if you cut your own wood, you’ll save time over chopping wood when you make newspaper logs. The logs will be more than just paper rolled to look like logs; the logs you make will be hard, solid, and will burn a long time.
Take the first newspaper, fold it, and put it in a five gallon bucket. Do the same with several more newspapers. When you have quite a few folded newspapers in the bucket, fill it with water. The newspapers will tend to float to the top so it’s a good idea to put a heavy object in the bucket, like a log. Allow the newspapers to soak in the water until the next day.
Remove a newspaper from the bucket and allow most of the excess water to drain off of it. Lay the paper out on a patio or other solid surface, and use a rubber mallet to pound it – but not too hard. Just hit the newspaper, across the top, and all the way down to the opposite end, to extract the liquid. Flip the paper over and do the same to the other side.
Use a large-diameter, wooden dowel to mold the paper into a log. Lay the dowel at one end of the paper, and begin rolling the paper around the dowel. As you do, squeeze out any remaining liquid. Roll from one end to the other.
Stand the dowel up on one end and slide the newspaper down to the end. Press the top edges of the paper into secure them. Flip the dowel – and newspaper – over and do the same to that side.
Slide the newspaper off of the dowel and lay it somewhere to dry. Outside, in the sun, the newspaper log can dry in a day. Make lots of logs and lay them outside – covered – or inside – uncovered, to dry. When the logs have dried completely they can be used just like ordinary logs. One hint: wear disposable gloves as you make the logs or you’ll end up with newsprint all over your hands.
Newspaper Logs