Moulded Handmade Paper Bowls

These beautiful and functional bowls make wonderful and unique center pieces. Mould the bowls using white cotton paper pulp, and decorate with flower petals, colored threads and other inclusions. Fill with jordan almonds, luscious flowers, slips of paper with inspiring quotes or wedding favors.

After the wedding, the moulded bowls may be hung on the wall as decorative features or used to hold small pebble collections, candies, marbles or potpourri on your coffee table.

Materials Required:

• cotton linter pulp
• glass bowl which will determine the size and shape of your project
• dried petals or colored confetti to add to pulp
• knife blade

(1) Soak a handful of cotton linter in tepid water for 15 minutes. Add small amounts of pulp to a kitchen blender filled with water. Pulse until pulp is blended and fluffy. Pour pulp into a bowl and repeat with remaining pulp until it has all been processed.

(2) Squeeze the excess water out of the pulp so that the pulp is damp but not dripping wet. Taking egg-size blobs of pulp. press the pulp firmly against the walls of a glass bowl, covering the entire inside surface area but leaving the top edge irregular.

(3) Press a sponge against the pulp to soak up any extra water and to facilitate bonding of the cotton fibers.

(4) Allow the bowl to air - dry. This could take a day or two, depending upon the thickness of the pulp as well as the humidity and temperature.

(5) When the bowl has dried, use a knife edge to carefully loosen the top edge of the bowl.

Variations - Use wire spirals, beads, twigs or long threads to add interest to your finished product. - Add leaves to the pulp after processing to incorporated into the pulp. Continue from step 2 to create a bowl with embedded leaves.

by Heidi Reimer-Epp and Mary Reimer
authors of 300 Papermaking Recipes
founders of Botanical PaperWorks papermaking studio.