: Dip a screen (mold) and frame (deckle) into the vat at a 45-degree angle, then lift horizontally to capture a layer of fiber.
: Chop harvested leaves or stalks into small pieces (about 1/2 to 1 inch) to ensure even cooking.
To produce handmade "deep" (thick or textured) paper from plant fibers, you must first extract cellulose by boiling plant material in an alkaline solution and then beat it into a pulp that can be layered. 1. Harvest & Prepare Fibers plant fibre
: Fill a large basin with water and stir in your pulp.
: Use a blender or a manual mallet to break the cooked fibers into a mushy pulp. : Dip a screen (mold) and frame (deckle)
: Cook for 1 to 3 hours until the fibers pull apart easily when tugged.
: Use plants high in cellulose like flax , hemp , yucca , cattails , or bamboo . : Cook for 1 to 3 hours until
: Boil the fibers in water mixed with an alkali like washing soda (sodium carbonate) or caustic soda . This removes lignin and non-cellulose materials that make plants rigid.