DIY Rice Paper
- 1). Prepare your plant matter (bamboo, mulberry, straw, etc.) by removing and shredding the leaves. You will need about a pound and a half of shredded leaf and plant material.
- 2). Create the ash mixture by combining wood ash (about 2.5 pounds) with water (about 3 gallons) in your large pot. Bring the pot to a boil and boil it for about 30 minutes. Be careful--this is a caustic mixture and you shouldn't handle it without wearing protective gloves. After boiling, remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to rest overnight for up to 24 hours.
After the mixture's resting period is complete, carefully strain it through a sieve lined with mesh (the fineness of the mesh is left to your preference). - 3). Mix the strained ash mixture with your shredded plant matter and place them together in a very large pot. Cook the pot for about 5 hours over medium-low heat, being sure not to allow it to burn.After the cooking is complete, strain the mixture through a sieve lined with mesh once more. Again, be sure to wear your gloves. Wrap the remaining mixture up in your towel, taking care to secure the ends. Rinse the towel with clean water and carefully squeeze out any excess.
- 4). Pour the fibers out of the towel into your mortar. Using the pestle, grind the fibers until they are pulpy--making a paper pulp. Fill your basin with water (about four times as much water as you have paper pulp) and add the pulp to the basin. Carefully stir it using your wooden spoon. If you want your paper to have a smooth consistency, remove excess clumps that you find.
- 5). Prepare your deckle and mold for use. Hold it under the water/pulp mixture in the basin and lift it up and out of the mixture carefully, ensuring there is adequate pulp on the frame to make a sheet of paper. Shake excess water from the deckle and mold and rest it on a towel. Remove the deckle and hold the frame with the mesh on the outside. You can now carefully add to or rearrange the paper to your liking. Set aside the frame to dry.
- 6). Remove the mesh screen from the paper, carefully pulling the paper away with a gentle, gradual movement. Place the sheet of paper on a flat surface to allow it to dry completely. When fully dry, your rice paper will be ready for use.
