In A.D. 105, paper was first introduced by Ts’ai Lun. It is believed that he made a mixture of hemp, mulberry bark, rags and water. He turned them into a pulp and sun dried the said mixture. This gave birth to paper which became very useful in all aspects of our everyday communication. The idea that paper was a handmade mixture led to handmade paper crafts. Most of the handmade paper out in the market makes use of raw materials like vegetable fibers or rags. With every sheet produced from the handmade paper, there are many possibilities of artistic design that can be created.
Aside from the artistry and elegance it brings, the use of handmade paper has become an environment friendly practice or activity. This means that trees can be saved and not harvested since people use recycled papers. Such may include old newspapers, magazines, tissue and toilet papers, old cards and many others. The underlying fact is that 1 ton of used mill-made paper consumes 270 trees. This is why handmade paper contributes a lot to our earth saving movement.
The use of raw materials such as leaves, tree moss, potatoes and flowers are already utilized by skilled Indian makers as their fibrous mixture in creating handmade paper and turning them into creative jewelry boxes. Handmade paper can also come from cotton fabric leftovers therefore it is 100% wood-free yet possess the same strength and durability of the ordinary paper due to its fabric base.
Other colorful handmade papers are made as elegant decorative items like greeting cards, wallpapers, gift boxes, art portfolios, carry bags, holiday décor, stationery and desk accessories.
