The Alchemy of Papermaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Gorgeous Paper

Hand 0n Learning

Ever wanted to turn a pile of junk mail into something you’d actually hang on your wall? Same! This is a beginner workshop — no experience required, just a willingness to get delightfully soggy.

In this 3-hour session, we take everyday paper — sourced right from local households, so yes, that’s your neighbor’s old envelopes — and give it a glow-up. You’ll learn the classic mold-and-deckle technique, pulling your own sheets one at a time from a 5×7 frame, with your own studio tub so you can putter at your own pace (no elbowing your neighbor for the good pulp).

Tell me more

You’ll walk out with a portfolio of 8 original sheets, made your way — press in some cotton thread here, a dried leaf there, whatever strikes you. Along the way you’ll pick up the traditional couching process (the oddly satisfying part where wet mush becomes an actual page), a real sense of how paper fiber holds itself together, and a simple guide for doing this again at home. Mostly, though, you’ll leave with a stack of genuinely one-of-a-kind pages — a little rough around the edges, made by your own hands, and somehow more you than anything from a store shelf.

What we’ll do

Your 8 sheets aren’t just 8 tries at the same thing — you’ll move through four little chapters, each one building on the last:

• 1 & 2 — Get the Feel: Two clean base sheets to find your rhythm with the screen and the drain. Trickier — and more satisfying — than it looks.
• 3 & 4 — Add Some Texture: Press threads, twine, and flecks of color into the wet pulp for sheets with a little grit and line.
•  5 & 6 — The Good Stuff: Real ferns and petals, either woven into the fiber or laid on top for a pressed-flower finish. Gentle embellishment.
•  7 & 8 — Go Off Script: Layer a second sheet on top for depth, or stencil designs into (not on) the paper itself

By the end, no two sheets in your stack will look alike. That’s the point.

When and Where

• Date: October 17, 2026
• Time: 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
• Location: Red Cedar Zen – 2509 Cedarwood Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 (Workshops not affiliated with RCZ)
• Tuition: $45 — Most Materials Provided – see below
• Limited to 10 seats 

What you need to bring

1. Please bring an 8-quart rectangular plastic dish pan (the standard bin used to wash dishes in a sink) to serve as your personal dipping vat. You can find these easily at Dollar Tree or Fred Meyer for a couple of dollars.  Make sure it is at least 11×14 inches at the top opening so your 5×7 frame can submerge cleanly!
2. A couple of thick towels and a pillowcase. Old or new – they won’t suffer any harm.

👉Spaces fill quickly. Claim your seat!

Cancellations and Refunds

A quick note on cancellations: I know plans change! If you need to cancel 7 or more full days before class, you’ll receive a full refund within 3 business days. Canceling 3–6 full days before class earns you 100% store credit of the amount paid, toward a future class. Canceling less than 3 full days before class earns 50% store credit of the amount paid. Unfortunately, day-of cancellations and no-shows aren’t eligible for a refund or credit, since we prep materials per person in advance. Thanks so much for understanding