From mulberry branches to tissue
Paper making in the north of Thailand started many generations ago as a part time job after harvest of the rice crops. The main activity for living in the old days for people in the countryside was working in the rice fields. With no technological help and the existing climate they can only grow rice during a certain time of year - the rainy season. During the time they wait for the next rainy season they have to find other sources of income. This is when most people learned to do different kinds of crafts. Papermaking is one of them.
 The raw material for making paper is the Mulberry tree that can be found everywhere in the jungle. People cut the young branches and brought them home. The branches were cut 3 feet long and the bark peeled off. Then the branches were boiled with ashes from the wooden stove until soft, then washed clean and beaten with a wooden hammer until it becomes tissue fiber that is ready to be turned into paper. The paper making process needed lots of water so people made their paper beside rivers.
For today's paper makers, utilities, especially water, are more conveniently accessed and with water recycle technology tissue making can be done anywhere. Normally our manufacturers have this process done before delivery them to local paper- makers in the villages nearby.
Mulberry trees are easily planted and are a fast growing plant in tropical climates. We use fiber from young branches of the tree to make paper without cutting down any trees.
 From tissue to paper
The principles of papermaking itself have not fundamentally changed. It still follows the primitive process that has been done since long ago, all by hand. The tissue is weighted for specific weight to control the thickness of each sheet then is spread onto a screened frame evenly by hand in a shallow tub of water. Then the frame is lifted and set aside to drain excess water before they are brought to sit in the sun for about 2 hours to dry. The size of paper depended on the frame size.
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 From tissue to paper
The principles of papermaking itself have not fundamentally changed. It still follows the primitive process that has been done since long ago, all by hand. The tissue is weighted for specific weight to control the thickness of each sheet then is spread onto a screened frame evenly by hand in a shallow tub of water. Then the frame is lifted and set aside to drain excess water before they are brought to sit in the sun for about 2 hours to dry. The size of paper depended on the frame size.
As you know, the nature of handmade products is that every one of them is unique, including handmade paper. So we have to have very high standards when it comes to quality control. Every single sheet has been inspected to maintain the same quality.
Uses for the Paper
It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is the most adaptable to change." Charles Darwin
In the old days handmade paper was used as paper towel, to clean butcher boards in the market, as writing paper to record religion teachings and many other uses.
In modern day, paper is still a part of our everyday lives. It has changed its forms, shapes, colours, surface characteristics and its raw material and end use applications to meet our needs and serve our creativity.
Paper has become a wonderful and fashionable material for arts, crafts, design and decoration in our lives. We still use paper as writing and wrapping material and we also use it for drawing, painting, bookbinding, conservation, decoration and much more. The variety of textures, thicknesses, colours, patterns and the affordable price range makes paper one of the most popular medias to work with.
By Tipparat Patchar.
Andaman Imports Inc.
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