Material(s)

Rice straw
Starch (gawgaw)
Alum (tawas)
Water
Caustic soda
Sodium hypochlorite
Henna leaves powder

●Tool and equipments

[ ] scissors
[ ] Screen box
[ ] Stainless steel Cauldron or drum
[ ] Measuring ups
[ ] Weighing scale
[ ] Stove
[ ] Blender
[ ] cheesecloth
[ ] Baty or basin
[ ] Mold and deckle
[ ] Rolling pin
[ ] Drying board
[ ] Sponge

●Basic Procedures
- A PULPING

[ ] Rice straw 1kg

[ ] Water 20L
[ ] Caustic soda 180g

S1. Cut the rice straw in small pieces. Screen the rice straw to remove dirt.

S2. In a cauldron cook the rice straw with water and Caustic soda for 2 to 3 hrs. The straw is
ready when it crumbles when pinch.

S3. Wash the cooked straw under the running water and crush it using a blender.

S4. Screen the cooked straw to remove dirt. The remaining material is called the PULP.
S5. Wrap the pulp with cheesecloth and squeeze out the water.

B. BLEACHING

MATERIALS
[ ] Rice straw pulp 1kg

[ ] Water 17L
[ ] Sodium hypochlorite 1L

S1. Bleach the 1 kg of pulp in hot water and sodium hypochlorite. Cover and let stand for 1hr.

S2. Wash the bleached pulp. Let dry

C. DYEING

MATERIALS
[ ] Rice straw pulp 1KG
[ ] Water 20L
[ ] Henna leaves powder(DEPENDS ON SHADE OF PAPER)
[ ] Rock salt 200g

S1. Boil 1 kg or pulp in a dye bath made from water dye and rock salt for 10 mins.
S2 . Wash the pulp in running water. Let it dry.

D. SHEET FORMING

MATERIALS
[ ] Rice straw pulp 1kg
[ ] Water 50L
[ ] Starch 100g
[ ] Rosin size 20g
[ ] Powdered alum 40g

S1. Mix the pulp with water in a large basin.

* For a thick paper use less water. For thin paper use more water.

S2. Add the starch and powdered alum. Mix well.

S3. Dip the mold and deckle into the basin to catch as much as necessary to make paper of the
desired thickness.
S4. Tilt the mold and deckle back and forth to spread pulp evenly.

S5. Separate the deckle from the mold and lay the molded pulp on cheesecloth.

S6. Cover the pulp sheet with cheesecloth and with a rolling pin, squeeze out excess water.

S7. Separate the sheet from the screen and lay it on the drying board

S8. Cover the sheet with cheesecloth and with a rolling pin, squeeze out excess water.

S9. Remove the cheesecloth and let the sheet dry under the sun

Reference:
https://www.irri.org/