Handmade paper can be fashioned with almost any plant matter and rudimentary tools. But a sophisticated and durable sheet of paper requires some tricks of the trade. After a lecture about the history of papermaking on Day 1, students will learn how to pull and press cotton and cattail sheets in the European tradition. Day 2, you’ll learn to personalize your paper through irregular shapes, gelatin sizing, dying, and embedding with decorative accents. On the final morning, we’ll collect and sort the sheets so that students can take home a stack of handmade paper for notecards, collages, or substrates for drawings and prints.

No experience is needed, but imagination and elbow grease are a must! This course is open to students ages 16+.

Required Tools

• Casual clothes and shoes that can get wet
• An assortment of inclusions

Optional Tools

• A clothing iron and small ironing board
• Waterproof apron