How is Mulberry Paper made?
The bark is soaked in water for around a week then boiled for 12 hours to further break down the fibres. After this the fibres are mechanically churned to produce a soft pulp, which is bleached and then dyed to a specified colour. The white or coloured pulp is poured by hand into a nylon gauze screen: the amount and thickness of the pulp defines the weight of the mulberry paper. These frames are lowered into tanks of water, the pulp is then spread out evenly in the water to make a consistent mix. The frames are lifted slowly out of the water trapping an even layer of the pulp onto the gauze. Flowers and leaves are sometimes added to create a pattern in the paper. The frames are dried in the sun: once dry the paper is peeled off the gauze mesh, leaving the characteristic deckled edge.
