Handmade paper products made out of invasive alien plants
When 400-year-old craftsmanship and invasive alien plants meet, the paper laboratory PAPirni LABoratorij or PAPLAB is created. The PAPLAB master workshop represents one of the lasting results of the APPLAUSE project.
PAPLAB operates under the umbrella of Ljubljana’s public water and waste management company VOKA SNAGA and every sheet of paper is made by hand. By using over 100-year-old machines, we are reviving the old paper artisanship and designing innovative products like different cards, letters or envelopes.
Carefully designed paper products
In a revived master workshop, we produce an exclusive collection of unique paper products made of Japanese knotweed, cellulose or cotton. They are carefully designed in line with the key properties of handmade paper and are environmentally and user-friendly.
In this article, we present a few paper products:
Paper envelopes and floral letter
It takes up to three hours to make paper envelop or floral letter from Japanese knotweed. You must store them in a cool and dry place. They are a perfect birthday card or a messenger of other important event for a very special person.
Seed paper
Spread soil into a small pot, put in the seed paper and water it. Then put over another thin layer of soil and water it once again. Put a pot on a sunny and airy location and make sure the soil is always moist. You can replant it into bigger pot after the seeds sprout. We can use the seed paper also to preserve vegetable seeds for the next planting season.
Paper pot for plants
Spread soil into paper pot and add seeds, seed paper or plants. The soil must be always moist. You can plant the paper pot directly into the soil as the roots will penetrate the pot and the pot will decompose in the soil. If not used store the paper pot in a dry place.
Charming eco-friendly bag
This unique hand-made paper bag with washable textile is environment-friendly, beautiful and durable. You can take it to the market, library, on a trip or picnic. It is sustainable and made in such a way that you can separate paper basis from the textile. The textile is made by the seamstresses from the Ljubljana Reuse Centre from the reuse textile (mostly cotton or flax) and is washable at 30°C. Masters from the PAPLAB workshop are responsible for the paper part. Paper frame is made out of Japanese knotweed, while the handle is made of natural hemp rope.
Presented paper products and additional wood products are already available in our online store but in Slovenian language only. By the end of the year 2021, the online store will be available also in English language.