Making paper .

"One afternoon a package from India arrived at the cottage by courier. It was from Shanti. It container a letter and a manuscript entitled The Story of My Life. The book was written in a diary made out of homemade paper." (P244)

I love handmade paper, particularly the ones with flower petals interspersed. Apart from the fact that this paper is aesthetically beautiful, it is also eco-friendly since it is made out of recycled paper pulp. All you need is paper, water, a large tub, a frame with a sieve and some plastic sheets.

The waster paper has to be soaked in water and then blended into a smooth paste. This is then put in a tub of water for at least two days. Then a frame with a net is lowered into the water and the resulting cloudy viscous fluid is drained off, leaving the tray covered with waste paper cellulose.

A plastic sheet is then placed on the cellulose and the frame is tipped upside down rather like a cake tin and the sheet is allowed to dry. When the cellulose dries, the plastic sheet comes off easily and you have your own hand made paper!