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Handmade Paper
Some paper is tough enough to mend museum treasures, and some has wavy edges that show it was made by hand! Discover the craft of handmade paper around the world.
Did you know?
Washi, Japan's handmade paper, is usually made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry bush. It is so tough and long-lasting that museums use it to repair old books and artworks!
Handmade paper often has soft, wavy edges called deckle edges. They come from the deckle, the wooden frame a papermaker uses to shape each sheet. Machines sometimes copy these edges to make paper look fancy!
In Nepal, lokta paper is made by hand from the inner bark of mountain shrubs. Cut bushes grow back in 5 to 7 years. The paper is so tough that it was long used for government records and holy books!
Try this: Deckle Edge Hunt
Hunt around your home for paper with soft, wavy, feathery edges, called deckle edges. Check greeting cards, wedding invitations, paper bags and old books. Make a chart with two columns, 'Straight cut' and 'Deckle', and write each find in the right column. Rub each edge gently between your fingers. Which kind feels softer? Which kind do you see more often?
Go further: Paper You Can Plant
Some handmade paper has tiny seeds mixed into its pulp. After you have used it, perhaps as a greeting card, you can bury it in a pot of soil, keep it moist and watch little plants sprout! Try small seeds, like marigold or mustard. The next time you make paper with an adult, sprinkle a pinch of seeds into the pulp before you shape it.