Recipe
Cardboard pulp tile
Corrugated cardboard pulped and pressed into a thicker, sturdier board than recycled paper. The corrugations break into long, locking fibres that give the dried tile real strength.
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 grey-brown tile, dense and slightly fibrous, that can be sanded smooth or left textured. Stronger than paper pulp brick R037 thanks to longer fibres.
Flexible slots (flex around your material)
Long fibre
Cellulose-rich fibre60g shreddedLong plant fibres. Gives tensile strength to papers, pulps and composites.
Examples Corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, newspaper, cotton rag, plant-fibre stems (retted)
Note, Tear into 1-2cm squares before soaking. Soak overnight if possible for easier blending.
Fixed ingredients
- Starch paste · 30g paste, Cook 10g cornstarch into 30ml water until thick and translucent. This binds the fibres as the tile dries.
- Water · 1L, Soak the cardboard in warm water before blending.
Equipment
- Blender or a sturdy bucket and stick
- sieve
- shallow mould
- weights
- baking paper.
Refinements and variations
- Mix in coffee grounds or tea leaves for character
- Add a teaspoon of charcoal for a darker tile.
Source notes
Plain brown corrugated cardboard works best. Avoid cardboard with heavy print or wax coating.