Making mulberry paper is what happens when gardening, chemistry, traditional craftsmanship, and a surprisingly vigorous arm workout all agree to occupy the same afternoon. The finished sheets can be thin enough to glow when held to a window yet strong enough for bookbinding, collage, printmaking, calligraphy, paper sculpture, and conservation work.
Traditional mulberry paper is often called kozo paper, although terminology varies by country and fiber source. It is made from the long bast fibers found beneath the outer bark of paper mulberry plants. Unlike ordinary recycled paper, which begins with already-processed scraps, authentic mulberry papermaking starts with bark that must be soaked, cooked, cleaned, beaten, suspended in water, formed into sheets, pressed, and dried.
This guide explains the complete process while offering a practical home-studio version. Beginners can start with prepared white kozo bark instead of harvesting branches. That skips the lumberjack chapter without sacrificing the handmade character of the paper.
What Is Mulberry Paper?
Mulberry paper is a plant-fiber paper made primarily from the inner bark of trees and shrubs in the paper mulberry family. In Japanese papermaking, the fiber is commonly called kozo. Similar bark fibers have long been used to produce Korean hanji, Chinese bark papers, Thai saa paper, and other Asian handmade papers.
The material is valued because its bast fibers are unusually long. When those fibers overlap and bond during drying, they create a sheet that is lightweight, flexible, and difficult to tear. Museums and libraries frequently use thin kozo papers to repair documents and artworks because the paper can provide considerable strength without covering the original material with a bulky patch.
Mulberry paper is not automatically bright white. Its natural color depends on the bark, how thoroughly it was scraped, the water quality, the cooking method, and whether the fiber was naturally whitened. Cream, ivory, warm beige, and lightly speckled sheets are normaland often more interesting than paper that looks as though it has been interrogated under fluorescent lights.
Two Ways to Begin
Start With Raw Paper Mulberry Branches
This is the complete traditional route. You harvest young shoots, steam them, strip off the bark, and scrape away the dark and green layers until only the pale inner bast remains. It provides maximum control over the paper but also requires more equipment, outdoor working space, and patience.
Before harvesting, identify the plant correctly, obtain the landowner’s permission, and check local regulations. Paper mulberry is considered invasive in parts of the United States, but that does not mean every plant is available for public harvesting. “Invasive” is an ecological classification, not a universal permission slip.
Start With Prepared Kozo Bark
For a first project, purchase dried white kozo fiber from a reputable papermaking supplier. The black outer bark and much of the green layer have already been removed, allowing you to begin with soaking and alkaline cooking.
Prepared fiber is more expensive than recycled paper pulp, but a modest bundle can produce numerous thin sheets. It also lets beginners concentrate on cooking, beating, sheet formation, and drying rather than spending the first weekend scraping bark while reconsidering every hobby-related decision they have ever made.
Tools and Materials
Basic Materials
- 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams, of dried white kozo fiber
- 0.7 ounce, or 20 grams, of soda ash
- Plenty of clean water
- Commercial papermaking formation aid, optional but recommended
- Natural inclusions, pigments, or fibers, if desired
Essential Equipment
- Digital kitchen or craft scale
- Large stainless-steel or enamel pot reserved for crafts
- Heat-resistant spoon or tongs
- Rubber or chemical-resistant gloves
- Safety goggles
- Apron and closed-toe shoes
- Large colander or mesh laundry bag
- Plastic tubs or buckets
- Wooden mallet, papermaking beater, or sturdy beating stick
- Smooth, durable beating surface
- Papermaking mould and deckle or Japanese-style flexible screen
- Wool felts, interfacing, or absorbent couching cloths
- Boards and clamps, a small press, or heavy weights
- Smooth drying boards, acrylic panels, glass, or stainless steel
Important Safety Precautions
Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate or washing soda, is commonly used to soften kozo fiber. It is milder than sodium hydroxide, but it can still irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Wear gloves and goggles, avoid breathing the powder, work with good ventilation, and store it away from children and pets.
Never use your regular cooking pot, utensils, measuring cups, or food containers. Use stainless-steel or enamel equipment reserved for papermaking. Add the measured alkali to water carefully, not the other way around, and avoid splashing.
Some professional papermakers use sodium hydroxide, commonly called lye or caustic soda. It can cause severe chemical burns and permanent eye injury. Beginners should use soda ash unless they have appropriate chemical-handling training, protective equipment, and a controlled workspace.
How to Make Mulberry Paper Step by Step
1. Harvest and Steam the Branches
Skip this step when using commercially prepared kozo.
Traditional papermakers commonly harvest straight young shoots during the dormant season. Remove leaves and small side branches, cut the stems into pieces that fit inside your steamer, and bundle them loosely.
Place the stems in a large steamer or covered metal container above boiling water. Steam until the bark softens and begins pulling away from the woody core. Depending on the stem thickness and equipment, this may take one to several hours.
While the branches are still warm enough to handle safely, slit the bark lengthwise and peel it away in long strips. Properly steamed bark should slide off with considerably less resistance than raw bark. If you find yourself wrestling the branch like it owes you money, steam it longer.
2. Scrape and Clean the Bark
The freshly stripped bark has several visible layers. The dark outer bark contains pigments and rough material. Beneath it is a greenish layer. The pale inner layer is the bast fiber used for fine white paper.
Soak the bark strips to keep them flexible, then place each strip on a smooth board. Use the dull edge of a knife or bark scraper to remove the dark and green material. Work patiently to avoid cutting through the useful fiber.
You do not need perfectly white bark for decorative paper. Leaving small amounts of darker material creates attractive flecks and a rustic surface. For thin calligraphy or conservation-style sheets, clean the bark much more thoroughly.
Traditional preparation centers on exposing, soaking, cooking, cleaning, and beating the inner bast fiber rather than grinding entire woody stems.
3. Soak the Dried Fiber
Place 100 grams of dried kozo in a bucket and cover it generously with water. Separate folded sections so every surface becomes wet. Soak the fiber overnight, or until it is flexible throughout.
Drain the soaking water and gently rinse the bark. Soaking helps water penetrate the fiber bundles, shortens the cooking stage, and promotes more even softening.
4. Cook the Kozo With Soda Ash
A widely used starting formula is soda ash equal to approximately 20 percent of the dry fiber weight. For 100 grams of dry kozo, use 20 grams of soda ash. Place roughly 1.5 to 2 quarts of water in your dedicated stainless-steel or enamel pot, leaving enough room for the fiber to move without overflowing.
- Heat the water until it is close to boiling.
- Dissolve the soda ash in a separate container of hot water.
- Carefully stir the solution into the cooking pot.
- Add the soaked kozo gradually.
- Reduce the heat and maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for approximately two to three hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Add more hot water when necessary to keep the fiber submerged. Avoid a furious rolling boil, which can tangle the bark, increase splashing, and turn your craft area into a botanical noodle disaster.
The kozo is ready when a strand separates easily both along and across its natural direction. If it remains rubbery or resists pulling apart, continue cooking and test it again later. Papermaking references commonly use an overnight presoak, soda ash at roughly 20 percent of dry fiber weight, and a two- to three-hour simmer as a practical baseline.
5. Rinse and Pick the Fiber
Transfer the cooked fiber into a colander or mesh bag. Rinse it thoroughly with clean water until the runoff is clear and the slippery alkaline feeling is gone. Squeeze gently rather than twisting aggressively.
Place small portions of fiber in a basin of water and inspect them under bright light. Remove bark fragments, knots, woody pieces, discolored matter, and anything else you do not want displayed permanently in your finished sheet.
This cleaning stage is slow, but it has an enormous effect on quality. Every dark speck ignored now will later appear in the center of your finest sheet, usually where it can achieve maximum artistic dominance.
6. Beat the Kozo Fiber
Spread a damp portion of cooked kozo on a smooth, sturdy surface. Beat it rhythmically with a wooden mallet. Fold the fiber back toward the center periodically, pull apart compacted sections, and continue beating until the strands separate into a soft, cloudlike mass.
Hand beating may require 30 minutes to several hours depending on the quantity, cooking quality, desired texture, and enthusiasm of the person holding the mallet. Properly prepared pulp should disperse in water without forming heavy ropes or stubborn knots.
A household blender can process tiny batches in short pulses, but its blades cut long fibers and can reduce the strength and graceful texture that make kozo special. A mallet, stamper, or papermaking beater separates the fiber more gently. Traditional and university papermaking programs commonly combine hand beating with specialized beaters to preserve and disperse the long fibers.
7. Prepare the Papermaking Vat
Fill a wide vat halfway with water. Add a small portion of beaten pulp and separate it using your hands or a papermaking stirring tool. Lift a handful of water and inspect it. The fibers should float individually rather than traveling in large clumps.
Add more pulp gradually. Beginning with a thin mixture makes it easier to learn how much fiber each sheet needs. You can always add more pulp; removing it is considerably more awkward and usually involves a bucket, a strainer, and mild muttering.
Traditional Japanese sheet formation uses neri, a viscous formation aid commonly made from tororo-aoi roots. It slows drainage and helps long kozo fibers remain evenly suspended. Home papermakers can purchase a synthetic formation aid designed for Japanese-style papermaking. Mix it according to the manufacturer’s directions and add it to the vat in small amounts.
Too little formation aid allows fibers to settle and clump. Too much makes drainage painfully slow. The ideal vat gives you enough working time to move the fiber across the screen before the water disappears.
8. Form the Sheets
Stir the vat gently before every sheet. Hold the mould and deckle level, lower it into the pulp mixture, and lift it smoothly. Rock the mould slightly from side to side and front to back while water drains. This movement helps distribute the long fibers and prevents thick islands from forming.
For a Western-style dipping method, collect enough pulp in one pass to form the sheet. For a Japanese-inspired layered method, collect several thin applications of fiber. Each pass builds a delicate layer, and the combined layers create a remarkably strong sheet.
Look across the wet surface while it is still on the mould. Fill obvious gaps by pouring a small amount of diluted pulp over them. Remove large clumps with tweezers or redistribute them gently before couching.
9. Couch and Press the Paper
Couching means transferring the wet sheet from the mould onto an absorbent surface. Place a damp felt or interfacing cloth on a flat board. Turn the mould over in one confident motion and press the screen against the cloth. Lift one edge slowly until the sheet releases.
Place another cloth on top and repeat the process, creating a stack of alternating wet paper and couching material. Traditional Japanese papermakers may stack sheets directly because properly formed kozo sheets containing neri can later be separated, but beginners generally find interleaving cloth more forgiving.
Place the stack between boards and apply pressure gradually. A small press works beautifully, but clamps, weights, or careful body pressure can also remove substantial water. Press until the stack is compact and water no longer streams from the edges.
10. Dry the Mulberry Paper
Peel each damp sheet from its couching cloth carefully. Brush it onto a smooth drying board, acrylic panel, stainless-steel sheet, or clean window. Begin in the center and move outward to remove trapped air and wrinkles.
Allow the paper to dry completely before lifting it from the surface. Drying against a smooth panel creates one relatively smooth side. Drying on textured wood leaves a more organic finish.
Do not rush the final stage with intense heat. Slow, even drying reduces warping. Once dry, trim the edges for a formal sheet or preserve the natural deckle edges for a visibly handmade appearance.
Common Problems and Practical Fixes
The Paper Has Thin Spots or Holes
The vat may contain too little pulp, or the mould may have been lifted unevenly. Stir before every sheet, increase the pulp concentration slightly, and practice keeping the mould level.
The Fiber Forms Ropes and Clumps
The kozo may need additional beating, or the formation aid may be insufficient. Return stubborn bundles to the beating surface and disperse the vat more thoroughly.
The Paper Is Weak
Possible causes include undercooked bark, excessive blender processing, inadequate beating, or extremely thin sheet formation. Try making several thin passes rather than one sparse layer.
The Vat Drains Too Slowly
Too much formation aid is the usual suspect. Dilute the vat with water or add more pulp and water without adding additional formation aid.
The Sheets Stick to the Drying Surface
Wait until they are completely dry. Begin lifting at one corner with a thin plastic tool, then pull slowly at a low angle. A sheet that feels cool may still contain moisture.
The Paper Is Too Absorbent
Fresh handmade kozo is often unsized, so ink and watercolor may spread rapidly. Apply an appropriate external sizing after testing it on a sample. For collage, chine-collé, lampshades, and many printmaking applications, the natural absorbency may be desirable.
Creative Ways to Customize Mulberry Paper
Once the basic technique works, vary the pulp instead of immediately buying twelve new tools. A small adjustment can dramatically change the result.
- Add a few longer unbeaten fibers for a visible cloud pattern.
- Mix in cotton, abaca, flax, or recycled paper pulp for different textures.
- Place flower petals, threads, dried grasses, or metallic leaf between thin layers.
- Use natural pigments or fiber-reactive dyes intended for papermaking.
- Pour contrasting pulp across the screen to create stripes or abstract forms.
- Press wet sheets against textured screens, leaves, lace, or carved surfaces.
- Make translucent sheets for lanterns, window art, or layered collage.
Avoid adding thick plant pieces indiscriminately. Fresh leaves and flowers may discolor, mold, or create weak areas. Dry botanical inclusions first and use them sparingly. Handmade paper rewards restraint, even when the craft-store flower aisle is encouraging chaos.
A Realistic First-Batch Experience
The following workshop-style account is a realistic composite of the experiences commonly reported by beginning mulberry papermakers.
The first surprise is how little dried kozo resembles paper pulp. It looks like a bundle of stiff, tangled bark that could be used to repair a chair. After soaking overnight, however, it becomes flexible and begins revealing long silky strands. The transformation is encouraging because the material finally appears willing to cooperate.
Cooking is the least glamorous stage. The pot needs regular attention, the bark must remain submerged, and the smell is more “wet plant laboratory” than “luxury stationery boutique.” Testing the fiber becomes the most reliable way to judge progress. Early in the cook, a strip separates lengthwise but resists tearing across its width. Later, it pulls apart in both directions with little effort. That change is more useful than watching the clock.
Cleaning the cooked fiber teaches another lesson: white paper is built one speck at a time. At first, removing every dark fragment feels unnecessarily fussy. Then a test sheet dries, and a tiny piece of bark becomes the visual center of the entire page. After that, cleaning suddenly feels less optional.
Hand beating is physical but oddly relaxing. The sound becomes rhythmic, and the shiny bark gradually changes into a fluffy mass. The main beginner mistake is stopping too soon. Fiber that looks separated on the table may still form knots in the vat. Dropping a pinch into a jar of water provides a useful test. If it disperses after shaking, it is probably ready. If it floats as one stubborn creature, it needs more attention.
The first pulled sheet is rarely elegant. One corner may be thick, the middle suspiciously transparent, and the edge shaped like a coastline. The second sheet is usually better because the movement becomes smoother. By the fifth or sixth attempt, the hands begin learning what the written instructions cannot fully explain: how fast to lift, how far to rock the mould, and when the fiber layer feels complete.
Formation aid can feel mysterious until two vats are compared. Without enough of it, the long kozo fibers settle quickly and gather in ropes. With the right amount, they remain suspended and glide across the screen. Add too much, however, and the mould drains with the urgency of a traffic jam. Small additions are much easier to manage than one enthusiastic pour.
Couching creates another memorable moment. Turning over a mould holding a fragile wet sheet feels like flipping a pancake made of fog. Hesitation often causes folds, while a smooth, confident movement produces a clean transfer. Dampening the couching cloth and pressing evenly around the screen improve the odds considerably.
The greatest reward arrives during drying. A gray, vulnerable-looking wet layer gradually tightens into a luminous sheet with visible strands crossing beneath the surface. The irregularities that seemed like mistakes begin to look intentional. Slight changes in thickness catch the light, deckle edges create character, and tiny fibers show exactly how the sheet was formed.
The first batch may not become flawless calligraphy paper, but it usually produces something more valuable: enough understanding to make the second batch dramatically better. Mulberry papermaking is not difficult because any single step is mysterious. It is difficult because every step influences the next. Better scraping improves cleaning, better cooking improves beating, better beating improves formation, and better formation makes couching almost pleasant.
By the end, the maker also develops a new respect for ordinary paper. A sheet is no longer a disposable background. It is a network of prepared plant fibers, carefully suspended, collected, pressed, and dried. That realization may not prevent every future paper airplane, but it should at least encourage a more dignified launch.
Conclusion
Learning how to make mulberry paper requires time, water, clean fiber, and a willingness to repeat small motions until they become intuitive. Begin with prepared kozo, use soda ash cautiously, rinse thoroughly, beat the fiber patiently, and keep the vat dilute while practicing sheet formation.
Do not judge the project by the first sheet. Handmade mulberry paper becomes more consistent as you learn how the fiber behaves. Even imperfect sheets can be used for collage, book covers, gift tags, lampshades, printmaking, or decorative stitching. The goal is not to imitate factory paper. The goal is to create a strong, expressive surface that still shows where it came from.
Note: This guide favors prepared kozo and soda ash as the more manageable home-studio route. Its process, material, conservation, and safety information was synthesized from museum, library, university, craft-education, USDA, and CDC/NIOSH resources in the United States, including the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, University of Iowa, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Florida Atlantic University, Cornell University, Oberlin College, Georgia Tech, Tulane University, Southwestern University, Hand Papermaking, USDA, and CDC/NIOSH.
