How to Roll a Joint With Printer Paper

Though conventional printer paper should never be used for real smoking, this paper is better when it comes to making fake joints for theater and drug education skits. Printer paper is not only sturdier and more readily available than cigarette paper, it looks better from a distance. Here's how to use it to make a realistic-looking "joint."

Measure and cut your paper into rectangles of 1 1/4 inch by 3 inches. Make sure to give each piece square edges.

Crumple each piece of paper until it's soft. Cigarette paper is much thinner than printer paper, so you'll need to distress your printer paper in order for your prop joints to have the appropriate rough, lumpy look to them. Softening the paper will also make rolling easier.

Choose a filling for your joints. Both sawdust and dried herbs will give them the appropriate weight and shape, but sawdust is a good choice if you're worried about any potential misunderstanding surrounding your props. Herbs, on the other hand, are a good choice if the rolling process is actually part of your play or skit (a combination of mugwort and catnip makes a great visual imitation of real marijuana).

Place about a teaspoon of filling onto a paper rectangle. Spread it across the length of the paper with your fingertip, but keep the line confined to the edge. Arranging the filling as evenly as possible is key to making a good-looking joint.

Roll the joint. Start with the edge where the filling is, and begin by curling the paper over the filling. Roll carefully to avoid letting filling slip out the edges and to keep the joint tight (this can take some practice).

Apply a thin line of glue to the inner edge of the joint to secure it (this requires a very small amount).

Twist both edges of the joint closed. This move is distinctive to rolled marijuana cigarettes as opposed to homemade tobacco ones (since owners of a joint are more afraid of losing some of the cigarette's contents), so don't skip it.