Paper Making with Plants with Mary Milelczik

This papermaking workshop, using a household blender, will introduce you to papermaking using recycled papers with local plant materials. Students will use a postcard-sized Japanese suketa and other moulds and deckles to make several sheets of paper, Participants are encouraged to bring dried plant materials to add to the pulp for coloring or to imbed in their paper.

The second portion of the workshop covers the selection, preparation, and process of using various local plant fibers, plant dyes, and earth pigments. Plant fibers used in this advanced workshop may include wauke (paper mulberry), pineapple, banana, ginger, lemongrass, cane grass, etc. (depending on availability).   To allow for more paper-making time, the plant materials will be sourced, prepared, and cooked into pulp in advance.

Participants will leave with a basic knowledge of papermaking, a variety of papers, pulp sources, and instructions on how to make paper at home.