Hand Papermaking with Plants (Illustrated Infographic)

If you ask someone what paper is made of, most would immediately say trees. However, with the hand papermaking process, you can use other plant fibers to make an incredible range of handmade papers. Check out this handy infographic (not quite a tutorial, but you'll get the general idea).

Some plants are grown specifically for the hand papermaking process, others can be sustainably harvested from the wild, and even more can be made from leftover fibers from the garden, kitchen, or even agricultural waste (check out Fresh Press). To make strong paper, choose plants with a high cellulose fiber content.

Since we've simplified the overall instructions, keep in mind that each plant fiber requires different treatment along the way, and the resulting paper will reflect the fiber's unique characteristics. And, there's an endless variety of techniques for cutting, scraping, cooking, retting, pulping, sheet formation, pressing, and drying that will all affect the resulting paper.

Feel free to share! Just credit and link back to Paperslurry.com and we're good! For further reading:

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Kokedama in Your Landscape (Interactive Plant & Papermaking Installation by Artist Megan Singleton)

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The Oracle Hollander Beater - Papermaking Equipment by Lee McDonald