Making
Mold and Deckle
The mold is used like a sieve to pick up the paper fibers that are
floating around in a tub or vat of water and the deckle is a frame used
to form paper pulp into sheets.
- Take four 10"pieces and four 8" pieces of wood with the
thickness ½" * ½".
- Arrange two pieces of 10" and two pieces of 8" in a
rectangle and glue them together.
- After the glue is dried hammer 2 nails at each corner.
- Take the remaining pieces of two 10" and two 8" pieces
of wood and repeat the same to make a frame.
- Paint both the frames with varnish to seal the wood.
- Take a nylon netting of 10" to 12" and wet the netting.
- To one of the frame staple the netting making sure that the
netting is taut and allow it to dry.
- Later remove the extra netting. This makes the deckle.
- The frame without the netting is the mold.
Making of Pulp
- Take the plant fibers or wood fibers and blend them properly in a
blender.
- The fibers can also be treated chemically with acidic or basic
liquors.
- Pour the pulp into a rectangular plastic tray with 2 inches of
water.
- The amount of pulp in the water will determine the thickness of
the sheet of the paper.
Making a Sheet of Paper
- Stir the pulp in a tub so that the fibers float on the top.
- Hold the mold and deckle together placing the deckle on the top.
- Slip the mold and deckle into the pulp pulling the pulp out of
the liquid.
- Let the water drain off from net.
- Allow the fibers to settle and mesh together.
- Take the deckle off the mold.
- Put one edge of the shhet of paper on a cloth and gently press
the paper onto the felt. This is called couching.
- Sponge off excess water.
- Press between laminated boards for the sheet to stay flat.
Adding Color to the Handmade Paper
There are several ways you can add colors to the handmade paper
- You can use water-based paints or fabric dyes to add color to
your paper. You can also use plants and other objects to add color
to your paper.
- You can paint the couching sheets with very concentrated
watercolors. As you couch your page the color will transfer to your
new paper.
- You can add watercolor to your water containing the pulp which
results in faintly colored paper.
- Adding spices to your slurry can also add color to your papers.
Turmeric makes yellow paper, tea ground makes a tarnish color.
