Handmade Paper with Sweet Corn Husks

The husks from sweet corn make lovely textured hand made paper. From a waste material that is usually thrown away this can be an added bonus.

I loved the way the fibres are so visible in the paper. I was wanting this paper to make Paper covered wire leaves so I only made smallish sheets.

The process is pretty much the same for all handmade paper. Cut the husks into about 2 inch sections and boil with a small amount of caustic soda for about and hour and a half. Then using my craft dedicated blender, I wizzed the mix to a consistent fluid. I transferred this into a basin with some extra water and them scooped out the fibres on a papermaking screen.

Once the paper was full dried, I used gel medium to adhere small pieces of the paper on either side of the leaf skeletons I had made by twisting wire into a leaf shape. When the medium was dry I then trimmed the leaf close to the wire.