Recipe

Tea-leaf paper

Spent tea leaves pulped with a smaller portion of waste paper, set in a deckle and pressed dry into thin, fragrant, tea-coloured sheets. The leaves give colour and texture; the paper gives strength.

Beginner35 min active

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

A warm tan paper with visible flecks of tea leaf. Strong enough to write on, fragrant for weeks.

Flexible slots (flex around your material)

Character filler
Cellulose-rich powder20g dried
Fine, dry, ground-up plant matter. Acts as filler and body in composites and doughs.
Examples Spent black tea, green tea, herbal tea, coffee grounds, fallen leaf powder
Note, Tea leaves carry tannin as well as cellulose, so the paper has a faint dye effect.
Backbone fibre
Cellulose-rich fibre20g shredded
Long plant fibres. Gives tensile strength to papers, pulps and composites.
Examples Newspaper, recycled office paper, corrugated cardboard, cotton rag
Note, The paper or cardboard fibre is what gives the sheet its tensile strength.

Fixed ingredients

Water · 1.5L, Warm water blends faster than cold.

Equipment

Blender
sieve
deckle and mould (or two embroidery hoops with mesh stretched)
shallow tray
sponge
two felt cloths or towels.

Refinements and variations

Use coffee grounds in place of tea for a darker, deeper sheet
Mix in dried petals or seeds for character.

Source notes

Save spent tea leaves over a week of brewing and dry them on a tray; they store well in an airtight jar.