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Recipe

Gelatine bioplastic

A cast flexible film made by dissolving gelatine with water and a plasticiser, then drying on a flat non-stick surface. Supports optional fillers, pigments and foraged powders without losing clarity.

Every A New Field recipe has been run in a domestic kitchen or community hall. Read the safety notes before you start and adapt for your venue.

What you’ll make

Flexible, translucent, glossy, slightly brittle if too thin, fully compostable. Like a warm-toned cellophane.

Flexible slots (flex around your material)

  • Filler (optional)

    Cellulose-rich powderup to 10g

    Fine, dry, ground-up plant matter. Acts as filler and body in composites and doughs.

    Examples Coffee, tea leaves, fine sawdust, bark (ground)

    Note — Sieve very fine or sheet becomes grainy.

  • Pigment (optional)

    Natural pigment / dyeto taste

    Coloured plant, mineral or animal matter. Yields colour in water or alcohol.

    Examples Turmeric, onion-skin infusion, charcoal

    Note — Liquid pigments dilute; balance with more gelatine.

Fixed ingredients

  • Gelatine · 15g — Bloom in cold water 5 min first.
  • Glycerine · 6g — More for floppier film.
  • Water · 75ml — Warm, not boiling.

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • thermometer (optional)
  • baking paper
  • flat surface or tray.

Refinements and variations

  • More glycerine for floppier films, less for crisper
  • Pour thinner for a faster dry.

Source notes

Widely documented, including in Materiom and FabTextiles guides. Ratios from household testing.