paper-making

Paper Making

Handcraft paper from plant fibres using traditional mould and deckle sheet-forming techniques.

When to Use

• You want to make handmade paper for art, stationery, or bookbinding
• You have plant fibres (cotton linters, kozo bark, recycled paper) to process
• You want to create unique textured or embedded paper for special projects
• You are teaching or learning traditional paper making as a craft practice

Inputs

• Required: Fibre source (cotton linters, recycled paper, kozo bark, or plant stalks)
• Required: Mould and deckle (a flat screen frame with a removable top frame)
• Required: Vat or tub large enough to submerge the mould (basin, plastic tub)
• Required: Water (generous amounts)
• Optional: Blender for pulping (dedicated to paper making — not for food afterward)
• Optional: Pressing boards and felt sheets (couching felts)
• Optional: Sizing agent (gelatin, methylcellulose, or rice starch)
• Optional: Additives: flower petals, threads, pigments, plant material for embedding

Procedure

Step 1: Prepare the Fibre

Different fibre sources require different preparation.

Fibre Sources and Preparation:

RECYCLED PAPER (easiest — start here):
1. Tear paper into 1-inch squares (avoid glossy or heavily printed paper)
2. Soak in water for 2-4 hours (overnight is better)
3. Blend in small batches: handful of soaked paper + 2 cups water
4. Blend until smooth with no visible paper chunks (30-60 seconds)

COTTON LINTERS (archival quality):
1. Tear cotton linter sheets into small pieces
2. Soak overnight in warm water
3. Blend to desired consistency:
   - Short blend (15s) = textured, chunky paper
   - Long blend (60s) = smooth, fine paper

KOZO (Japanese paper — strong, translucent):
1. Strip bark from kozo (paper mulberry) branches
2. Soak in water, then cook in alkaline solution
   (wood ash lye or soda ash) for 2-3 hours until soft
3. Rinse thoroughly to remove alkali
4. Beat by hand with a wooden mallet on a flat stone
   until fibres separate (do not blend — hand beating
   preserves long fibres that give kozo its strength)

PLANT STALKS (experimental — iris, daylily, corn husk):
1. Harvest fibrous stalks after growing season
2. Ret (soak) for 1-2 weeks to soften
3. Cook in alkaline solution for 2-3 hours
4. Rinse and beat by hand
5. Results vary — experiment with fibre length and beating time

Expected: A slurry of prepared fibre (pulp) with the consistency of thin oatmeal.

On failure: If the pulp is too chunky, blend longer. If too thin and watery, add more fibre. The consistency should coat the back of a spoon lightly.

Step 2: Prepare the Vat

Set up the sheet-forming station.

Vat Setup:
1. Fill a vat (plastic tub, basin) with water — deep enough to
   fully submerge the mould (at least 4 inches of water)
2. Add prepared pulp to the vat
3. Stir thoroughly — fibres must be evenly suspended, not clumped
4. Pulp-to-water ratio: approximately 1 part pulp to 10-20 parts water
   - More pulp = thicker paper
   - Less pulp = thinner, more translucent paper
5. Stir before EVERY sheet — fibres settle quickly

Test: dip your hand in the vat. The water should be milky/cloudy
with evenly suspended fibres. If you can see clumps, stir more.

Expected: A vat of evenly suspended pulp ready for sheet forming.

On failure: If fibres clump despite stirring, the fibre may be too long. Blend briefly to shorten the fibres, then re-suspend.

Step 3: Form the Sheet

The mould and deckle technique is the heart of paper making.

Sheet Forming Protocol:

THE TOOLS:
- Mould: a flat frame with a fine screen (window screen or brass mesh)
- Deckle: a second frame that sits on top of the mould (acts as an edge)
- Together they create a shallow tray that holds the pulp

FORMING:
1. Stir the vat thoroughly
2. Hold the mould screen-side up with the deckle on top, gripping both
3. Dip the mould+deckle into the vat at an angle (far edge first)
4. Level the mould underwater, then lift straight up in one smooth motion
5. As the mould clears the water, shake gently side-to-side and
   front-to-back (2-3 shakes each direction) — this interlocks the fibres
6. Hold level and let water drain through the screen (30-60 seconds)
7. Remove the deckle carefully — lift straight up so water does not
   drip onto the formed sheet

THE SHAKE:
- The side-to-side and front-to-back shakes are critical
- They interlock fibres in both directions, creating strength
- Without shaking, the sheet tears easily in one direction
- Practice on scrap pulp — the shake is the skill that takes longest to learn

THICKNESS CONTROL:
- Thin paper: less pulp in the vat, faster pull-through
- Thick paper: more pulp, slower pull-through
- Even thickness comes from pulling the mould through the vat
  smoothly and leveling before lifting

Expected: A wet sheet of paper sitting evenly on the mould screen with consistent thickness and no thin spots or holes.

On failure: If the sheet has thin spots, the mould was not level during the lift. If the sheet is thick on one side, the mould was tilted during draining. Practice the lift motion: smooth, level, and confident.

Step 4: Couch, Press, and Dry

Transfer the wet sheet and remove water.

COUCHING (transferring the sheet):
1. Place a damp felt or blanket on a flat surface
2. In one smooth motion, flip the mould face-down onto the felt
3. Press the back of the screen gently with a sponge to release the sheet
4. Lift the mould straight up — the sheet should stay on the felt
5. Place another damp felt on top of the sheet
6. Repeat: form sheet → couch onto felt → cover with felt → form next sheet

Couching stack: felt / sheet / felt / sheet / felt / sheet / felt

PRESSING:
1. Place the couching stack between pressing boards
2. Apply even pressure:
   - Screw press (ideal)
   - Weight (heavy books, concrete blocks — 20+ kg)
   - Stand on it (place boards on floor, step on carefully)
3. Press for 15-30 minutes — water should squeeze out from the sides
4. Replace wet felts with dry ones and press again for best results

DRYING:
Option A — Air dry on boards:
1. Carefully peel each sheet from its felt
2. Place on a smooth board (glass, formica, or MDF)
3. Smooth gently with a damp sponge to remove wrinkles
4. Sheets will dry flat against the board (12-24 hours)
5. Peel gently when dry — edges release first

Option B — Hang dry:
1. Peel sheets from felts and hang on a clothesline with clips
2. Faster drying but produces a wavy, textured surface
3. Suitable for art paper where texture is desired

Option C — Iron dry (fast):
1. Place damp sheet between clean cotton cloths
2. Iron on medium heat until dry (5-10 minutes)
3. Produces a smooth, flat sheet quickly

Expected: Finished sheets of handmade paper — dry, flat (if board-dried), with deckled edges and visible fibre texture.

On failure: If sheets tear during couching, the mould was lifted before enough water drained. Let the mould drain longer before flipping. If sheets wrinkle during drying, they were not pressed firmly enough or the drying surface was not smooth.

Validation

• Fibre was prepared to an even, lump-free pulp
• Pulp was evenly suspended in the vat before each sheet
• Sheet forming included the interlocking shake in both directions
• Sheets have consistent thickness without thin spots or holes
• Pressing removed sufficient water before drying
• Finished sheets are dry, intact, and suitable for their intended use

Common Pitfalls

• Not stirring before each sheet: Fibres settle in seconds. Every sheet needs a fresh stir or the last sheets will be thin and sparse
• Tearing during couching: Too much water still on the mould, or the couching motion was too slow. Drain longer and flip in one confident motion
• Uneven thickness: The mould was not level during the lift and drain. Practice the motion slowly, focusing on keeping the frame horizontal
• Paper too fragile: The fibres may not be beaten enough (too long, too stiff) or the sheet may be too thin. Beat longer or use more pulp
• Mould warps when wet: Wooden moulds can warp. Use marine-grade wood or seal with waterproofing. Aluminium frames avoid this issue entirely

Related Skills

• forage-plants — fibre plants can be foraged in the wild; understanding plant anatomy helps identify suitable fibre sources