Grass paper

Grass paper

- recipe

Recipe by Gabriella TimantiTimanti.

This can result in a flat sheet of paper or molded in a 3D shape, as depicted below. 

Tools:

Hot plate
Cooking pot
Spoon
Flat surface
Blender
Rolling pin
Drainer / strainer
Large rectangular tub
Mould and Deckle
Cloths
Some type of weight (heavy books do well)

Ingredients:

• Water 10 kg / L
• Grass 1 kg
• Soda ash 10 gr (washing soda, sodium carbonate Na2CO3)

Method:

1. Boil the grass (freshly cut or not) in water with soda ash for 1-2 hours. Stir occasionally.
2. Drain grass.
3. Beat the grass with a rolling pin/mallet hammer or similar until slightly pulpy.
4. Fill a large tub with water until about half full.
5. Slowly,In your blender, put a bit of water and whilegrass keepinguntil it becomes a pulp. Empty into the flowtub inafter oneeach go.

If you want, add petals or any other material you with to show on top of the grass paper.
Swish your hand through the water to make sure the fibres are evenly spread through the water. Using the mould and deckle, whilst holding firmly, scoop up some pulp and hold horizontally until the water has drained through back into the tub. Flip onto a cloth and peel the deckle off. Then place toanother avoidcloth airon bubbles,top. pourRepeat steps until you feel you cannot make anymore sheets. Lay a heavy weight on top of the mixturesheets infor your20 minutes. Then, remove the weight and place the paper sheets spaced out on a flat surface (or a mould orif onyou yourwant chosento surface.achieve Note:shape), Don'tso castthey hotcan bioplasticdry on acryllic that is thinner than 7mm, it will bend.out.

Drying / curing:
Let the material dry in a ventilated and dry room and de-mould when your plastic feels solid, but still cold to the touch - often after 24-48 hours. Keep ventilated and regularly turn your piece over until it is dry, so as to avoid mold formation with long drying times.