In Part One of this series, we looked at the possibility of making handmade paper to sell. In this section, we are going to look at making your paper even more salable, along with some examples.

While handmade paper is always pretty unique and interesting, you can add to the appeal by using different materials. Here in Antigua, there is a little paper shop that sells sheets of handmade paper, as well as a wide variety of paper products (hence the inspiration for this series!). They don’t just use recycled paper, there is paper made from grass, coconut husks, banana leaves and more. These papers carry special appeal because of the uniqueness of their origins.

To make more interesting paper, you can add elements during the mixing process, during the sifting stage and even after the paper has dried. Once the paper has been finished, you can also stamp it or add print designs.

Elements that are most commonly added to handmade paper are many, but you can make your own unique papers by using anything you have around the house. Dried flower petals and leaves make for a lovely nature paper. Add some seeds for “plantable” paper, make greeting cards that can then be buried in soil and will grow flowers in a few weeks!

You don’t have to stick with natural elements. Torn bits of colored paper, scraps of cloth and fibers can all be used as well. These make pretty additions to thick paper. Add fibers and such during the mixing process. Natural elements can be laid on top of the paper while it is being sifted out of the basin, then redipped to cover the elements with a thin layer of paper pulp.

For prints on paper, your imagination is your limit, really. Try potato stamps, embossed metallic prints on a dark paper, or even freehand squiggles done with a metallic pen. The ideas are endless, you just need to have an idea and then make it work. I find that it helps to look at some examples. There is a great great handmade paper website that sells exotic papers. They are a good place to get inspired, offering everything from natural recycled papers to ones that incorporate silk and even papyrus.

Experiment with making more unusual papers and get opinions on your designs from friends and family. Then choose the best ones and start selling those. Or use them to make paper crafts which you can sell for even more. I’ll be discussing more of that in Part Three, the final article in this series.