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Making my own paper from plant matter - Research & Reflection


When looking at business cards i had an idea to create my own paper out of plant material as i thought it would be a great idea to combine my practise with my promotional material. It would create a handmade feel that wouldn't be effecting the environment, plus i really like the aesthetic the paper gives. I research how to do this from many different websites and YouTube videos and came together with a step by step instructions on the process. 

 How to make my own paper - 

Step 1: Prepare the plant material
Cut the plant material into postage stamp-sized pieces using the garden shears.

Step 2: Break down the plant fibers
Boil the plant material in water until it decomposes. This can take several hours. Soaking most plants in warm water before boiling them will reduce their decomposition time.

Step 3: Disperse the fibers in water
Rinse the plant fibers thoroughly. Then fill a blender or food processor with water. Add the fibers and blend the mixture until the plant fibers are evenly distributed in the water.

Step 4: Add the pulp to a basin
Pour the pulp into a large basin or stopped sink. Continue blending and adding pulp until the sink or basin is half full.

Step 5: Dip the mould and deckle in the basin
Place the deckle on top of the paper mould. Dip them together into the pulp at a 45-degree angle, drawing them toward you. If you cannot find a mould and deckle at a crafts store, construct your own from flat picture frames with a screen attached to one of them.

Step 6: Remove the mould and deckle from the basin
Raise the mould and deckle to the surface in one continuous motion. Then remove them from the pulp and allow the water to drain.

Step 7: Dry the paper
Remove the deckle and transfer the layer of pulp to a flat surface covered by a damp cloth by placing the mould upside down on the surface and then raising it up. Let the paper dry.

 after doing some through research i have concluded that this process is too time consuming to be producing at least 100 business cards - even postcards. To create one page would take far too long and it is something i don't solely have time for. I also would assume that it would take a few trails to get right there for prolonging the outcome further. I will be researching other possible ways of producing my business cards in a manner that will enhance my practise. 


Research Used -


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