Do-it-yourself papers

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 16

Do-it-yourself papers

Making Paper in New Zealand. By May Davis. Concept Publishing, 1982. 39 pp. $6.90. Paper-making is a hobby which has considerable fascination, and it is also a craft with'a long and interesting history. May Davis has run paper-making classes in Nelson, and her students’ enthusiasm — and the personal pleasure she has gained from paper-making — have led to this book. The methods May Davis suggests are, as she says, more simple than those of many paper-making tutors. They are likely to encourage the novice and, clearly explained, with illustrations by Sue

MacLeod, make the whole processs seem attractively simple. The most simple process is by putting soaked paper offcuts through a kitchen- blender to get the pulp, which is> then deposited on the mould. The latter parts of the booklet deal with such refinements as the use of plant fibres, making watermarks, and othei decorative effects. There is a short list of books for those who want to go further into the subject, and — a nice touch — a sample sheet of the author’s own paper. This little book may start many, young and old, into a fascinating hobby. — A. J. Petre.