Can Leaves Be Turned Into Paper? DIY Experimental Leaf Paper
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ธ.ค. 2022
- Hi, my name is Cory and I am an artist who makes environmental and ecological inspired art. In this video I try making paper out of leaves for the first time - a kind of paper making experiment! I've made grass paper before, but leaf pulp ended up being way different. Apart from a few specifics, the process was the same as making grass paper though!
Even though there were a ton of challenges, this was a fun experiment. If you're into art, crafts, paper making, or nature, you might like what came out in the end!
If you have an idea of what I should do with the paper let me know! If not, I'm sure I'll come up with something and share it soon. Thanks for checking out the process and happy new year! Here's to making cool things in 2023!
How I make plant paper:
• Making Paper From Gras...
• Making Plant Paper Fro...
How I DIY my own deckle and mould:
• Making a Mould and Dec...
Artist Instagram:
/ corym.art
My website:
corymorrisonart.com/
I made paper last year from my old school notes and fresh mint and the mint made paper edges turn dark brown as if they have been burned on purpose, so that got me into trying out new textures and materials. Thanks to your videos I found out even more about how I should go around with the whole process as I'm thinking of using one after trying as many as I can way to make paper for my print making final. Thanks for inspiration, now I'm a bit sad for not finding this video at fall.. one dude printed his final on cement blocks so I have to step up my game for crying out loud!!
Glad my videos offered a little bit of insight and inspiration! Now I'm a little bit invested in this print making final for yours... YOU GOT THIS!!! (p.s. recycled paper from old school notes is a 10/10 idea)
Hello can you advice me why can't you grind the pulp can you answer me
Wait until you get out of college and find out it was all for nothing 😂
@@mohammedomer-em3mc He _did_ grind the pulp in a blender - did you watch the video?!
I've made paper with flowers in it using used old paper.
Brings a whole new meaning to the word "leaflet"
Or “loose leaf paper”
Instead of the stick and flat surface or chopping with the paint scraper, you should invest in a Mexican molcajete. They are like a mortar and pestle but with a more course surface. They're used to grind vegetables to make salsa but would be excellent for grinding down the wet leaves into finer pulp. They're around $30-$70 depending on the size you want.
Yes! Just made this suggestion on a comment about a mortar and pestle!
That's exactly what I was thinking when he started pulping the leaves too
@brainplay8060 my dude actually had two cement pavers at hand and didn't use those to grind the pulp. SMH. 🤪
I thought the exact same thing when I saw that part, either a molcajete or a metate would work so well for this
That's literally what I was thinking
After doing experiments like this, don’t you wonder what it was like thousands of years ago when people had ideas to create things no one ever seen before and the processes they went through to finally come up with a finish product. We use paper all the time but who could sit down like you did and make it from scratch using your own imagination. Good work, it sure gives you a better idea of what it takes to become an inventor!
It is really fascinating, I feel so dumb watching this video and reading the comments, everyone knows how things work and I'm just sitting here like well this is nice ;-;
@@DG-iw3yw you're right, the romans didn't use sand as TP.
They used a communal vinegar soaked sponge on a stick as TP (i'm not kidding, they shared the sponge stick).
@@DH-xw6jpin larger cities, there would be a sponge vendor at or near the public latrine entrance
@@Sigmatic850 oh look at you mister fancy toga, got your very own sponge.
what? you too good to share a sponge with the rest of us?
(Jk.)
@@trashcid00you know, the first step to learning really cool things is looking for something you didn't know before and think, "Oh, that's nice!"
You should experiment with different types of leaves. Looks like you chose something in the rose family for this one (pears, apples, plums, peaches... all related to roses). I'd suggest trying leaves with a high lignin content, like oak, beech, or chestnut. Should give you a different fiber structure and a more durable end result, if the strength of the lignin itself doesn't interfere with processing. If it does, go the opposite direction and try something like green maple, linden, or mulberry leaves.
Also, the brown leaf juice is full of tannic acid, which was used in ink manufacture back in the day, but it's been abandoned because it tends to fade and/or damage paper over time.
Yes that is what I was thinking. Those oak leaves take a long time to decompose out in the yard, and I think oak might make a durable paper.
It should work. Steam softens up the lignin that binds the wood fibers together (that's why wood becomes bendable when exposed to steam over several hours). And the brown leaf juice sounds like it could be useful for vegetable tanning of leather
But with high lignin content, Wouldn't that make high acid content? I am very new at this but i want to make paper useing weeds and flowers from my yard to mount my pressed flowers on. But i think my pressed flowers are browning really really fast because maybe high acid content?
What do you guys think?
@@saltpepperketchup7082 Lignin is just a starchy material, but like cellulose, it's physically durable and not easy to digest unless you're a fungus. I think you're thinking of tannins (tannic acid), which is what makes coffee and tea brown and bitter.
@@NorthernGoshawk It may seem that I blame the "browning fast" on a literal color pigment or something. But actually it is not a "color" i refer to. More of degradation. That's a common thing that happens to pressed dried flowers over time. Mostly when exposed to daylight, the colors fade. And i think i read that its the sulfer and lignin that is responsible for the high acid content in paper making, which makes paper degrade. Is that right?
So my reasoning is that if lignin and sulfer turn paper brown and brittle over time, could that hasten the degradation of my dried pressed flowers mounted onto acidic paper, or am i just trippin?
And if i was to make paper from backyard weeds and flowers, do they contain this cellulose that you speak of? Would they also contain lignin and sulfer like wood does?
I think i would have to have some kind of a binding agent if they dont contain cellulose?
Do i have everything wrong and should just walk away? I just want my flowers to keep color longer and was hoping to make sense of it all.
One thing you sometimes see added to the paper pulp is actually a mild and dilute adhesive to promote bonding with the fibers. It does mean that the paper has to be transferred from the deckle before it finishes drying to prevent it from adhering too strongly, but it can help prevent fibers from being pulled out of the paper so easily. I suspect that the mucilage from the okra somehow replaced that in your previous grass paper. If you want your paper to be particularly white (for some reason) you can bleach the fibers and add in kaolin clay. The clay also improves surface durability but inhibits ink absorption to a certain degree. Almost all common white printer paper contains kaolin clay, or a similarly white and fine particulate clay. Chalk or talc would also work decently well. Another cool option if you were to take on making a white paper would be to finely shred some dried flower petals and toss them into the basin just before you go to make your paper. You don't want them to rehydrate, but instead just get trapped in the paper fibers to make colorful little confetti dots in the paper. If you live in the south and have access to what is known around here as a "Sweet Betsy Bush" (calycanthus floridus), try to get some clippings of new growth branches and twigs. You'll need to boil them and scrape the bark off to make them usable, but the process should be roughly the same as making washi paper. The wood inside these shrubs is particularly white and pliable, so the fibers should be well suited to the role of paper making. Their flowers also smell particularly nice, or at least I think so.
Awesomeness. Thanks for the education. This comment and video is making me want to try and make leaf paper. Much love ❤️
kaolin is used to make the sheets less translucent so both sides of the paper can be written on - Okra acts like Neri ( Japanese addetive to the vat for better formation of the sheets made from Hybiscus Manihot roots) if you want to make the paper sized there are additives available for that purpose
If you did your method, would a single layer of cheese cloth be useful? or cause more issues? (lay down the cheesecloth on the deckle first)...Read some more of your comment; would diatomaceous earth (food grade) work, instead of clay, I wonder? that's very fine particulate matter, but don't know if it would result in a "white" paper, or turn it another colour entirely...or just cause an unknown issue...
@@Kayenne54 As long as it's a fine particulate and quite white when dried, then it should serve that role just fine. Most of the instances I've seen of people transferring paper after pressing out some of the liquid typically use fine linen canvas to do the transfer to their drying racks, since the canvas is much easier to wash and press once it becomes too damp to serve its purpose anymore.
As one comment pointed out, the clay does also serve the role of allowing thin, fine sheets of paper to be more opaque so that both sides can be used. It also makes it less absorbent, more finely textured, and less pliable. It's why you can typically write on printer paper with a water-based marker and barely see it on the other side. Paper is a fascinating subject matter, as it plays a much more significant role in the writing and printing experience than people typically acknowledge.
@@mndlessdrwer Diatomaceous earth (food grade) dries white. It is white to begin with, but of course not sure how the paper would act once processed. It would certainly be less likely to be consumed by insects, I'd think (because D.E. works by desiccating insects and usually how it's used). I liked the sheen on the leaf paper in video above. A fascinating topic, thank you for your insights.
Why not put the leaves in a blender or food processor instead of cutting with scissors? Then boil. That would make the paste much faster and easier than beating it. Strain that mash and press it to remove as much moisture as you need to. I’ve made paper myself and that is what I find is most efficient and produces a good product.
That's a great idea!
Wouldn't it cut fibers too short? I have no idea but that's what I heard.
@@ZeroPlayerGame It’s never been a problem for me.
blending before boiling would put more strain on the blender, adn probably wouldn't blend as finely...
When I do this with recycled paper I use a blender after soaking
This is awesome. When I worked at a paper and pulp factory, we only used cotton and cotton fabrics to turn into the pulp. Sometimes we would use a hay-like grass, but it was the annoying one because after just one run, we would have to spend 2 days cleaning everything out. I did some research and found out that any plant with fibers could theoretically be turned into paper. Gave me the idea that even something like pineapples could be turned into paper but I never tried.
And for some advice, when we were cooking the pulp, we would use superheated steam, hot water, an acid (probably the hydrogen peroxide) and if what we were putting in was dyed NaOH otherwise known as lye. Nasty stuff that lye, would always choke you up if the gasket broke before the cook finished. I had some drip on my shoulder once and it ate straight through my shirt and the first few layers of my skin before I even noticed. Anyways, we would pressure cook the material at ~165 C at ~60psi for ~ 1.5 hrs. The time would change slightly depending on the cook but it was always more than an hour. Downstairs, they would then wash the material while chopping it up with propellers, give it a cold bleaching, I don't know what chemical they used for that, then a second wash and out the extruder and onto the oven. When they were finished, they were about 1/2 inch thick and slightly wet so that they are flexible enough to mess with but not so wet that they fall apart. After we bailed them up, we would send them out to various paper companies and different countries for printing that country's currency.
So cool!! Thanks for sharing :)
Wow to make a paper that countries use to print paper money must make u feel proud of urself
OMG you made money paper 😮😎
Super cool
I really enjoy your voice overs and how you express curiosity. I tend to forget that its okay to be curious and experiment with art. I think your channel will be an incredible influence on how I approach creating going forward
This just popped up as a suggested video. I made paper out of leaves in California in high school in Placentia, California in the mid 1980’s. So just wanted to see your success doing the same thing.
If you have plantains (Plantago sp.) growing around you, they might make a good binder because the leaves get gooey when crushed. The seeds are what are used to make psyllium powder.
@@PetroicaRodinogaster264 in both of the grass videos I watched, he used okra as a binder (and cornstarch in one)
@@Filbie my apologies, it was okra…I got the two mixed up. Where I live neither plantain or okra are a commonly found food item. So the words are easily mixed in speech. Thanks for the correction
@PetroicaRodinogaster264 She doesn't mean the plantain that resembles a banana, it is what is commonly thought of as a weed and grows in yards, cracks in cement, absolutely everywhere! Look up both ribwort & broadleaf plaintain to see what the plants look like. Both varieties are both medicinal, edible, and do produce psyllium seed/husk. HtH!😊
A small piece of advice: You can use Titanium Dioxide to color the leaves. It is used as a whitener in almost all industries (including food), so it is not harmful. 👌
Additionally, you can use 0.3mm or 0.5mm plastic sheets to spread wet pulps. This prevents the pulps from sticking and does not impede the flow of liquid when you put weight on them. This way, you can achieve better results when removing dried papers.👍
Is it safe to boil titanium dioxide with the leaf mixture?
I never tried boiling it. But you can use it in the last process where you pour all the pulp to the water. Before you start pouring the pulp, you can add some titanium dioxide to the water and stir it. It should work fine... @@renukaramanujam9167
@@renukaramanujam9167 Yes. Titanium dioxide is inert and contains no toxic substances, so heat won't release anything that can harm you. It's a food ingredient that is sometimes baked. The only way it's harmful is if it's a powder and you inhale it.
An ancient Chinese recipe for paper calls for mulberry leaves and old rags. Using leaves in paper a very sustainable and I hope to be able to make my own paper someday and live almost completely off grid. :)
I think they use Mulberry bark though, I saw a video about it. Mulberry paper is a very important paper. It's used for book repair and other conservation work. Japanese washi kozo is famous, but other countries also produce slightly different conservation paper (I know of German and Russian institutions that developed such paper). I think that in China they wrap block tea such as puerh in mulberry paper, and there is a traditional production of such paper too. It's a lovely material, I would love to have some of that paper.
@@catherine_404 You're probably right, I might have confused the part of the plant used because mulberry leaves are used for feeding silk moths so I probably got confused. I have seen book restorers at old colleges use what they call "Japanese tissue paper" to restore rare old books. It's amazing what a good book restorer can do, I sent in a 1939 pocket dictionary to a book restorer on etsy and she sent back an absolute masterpiece. The fanciest book I'll ever own. :)
You can probably tan leather with that leave tea, since i assume that it contains a lot of tannins. Dog "bones" from rawhide are an easy way to get started. I've turned them into leather. But you should start with small quantities of rawhide, since you want to have enough tannins to finish the experiment.
If you want to try this and need more information, feel free to ask.
you might get a clear paper if you soak the leaves in soap water for three days and change the soap water every three days. typically this is used for making transparent leaves but I really want to see what the paper would look like if you got rid of everything but the leaf bones?
Ziplock bag=> cut corner=> Funnel!! 🎉
Instead of using t-shirts, Pellon (interfacing for sewing projects like quilting) are what the studio at my school uses. They are synthetic, come in different thicknesses and less likely to stick to the paper.
its really interesting how any natural fiber has potential, even something as inconspicuous as fallen leaves
This is great, thanks for making it. I love that you used exclusively simple, found or cheap, easily available materials and tools, almost all from nature and biodegradable. Really beautiful results! I love learning new ways to make useful and beautiful things without relying on non-local and non-circular systems. I think I'll try this with my kids!
After watching this, I had to subscribe! As an herbalist, tree hugger, & plant geek, I am enthralled by this project! That's a lot of work but I can imagine the satisfaction. Can't wait to check out what else you have to offer on your channel. Thanks!!! 😊🍂🍁
I really dig the blended look! Its got so much visual texture, and I bet the the touch texture is awesome too! Gorgeous deckled edges too!
Nothing like a nice crisp piece of loose leaf.
Thank you for doing these videos and sharing different ways people can make things from nature sustainablly. I also appreciate how calming watching these videos are too thank you.
Always good to see what doesn't work along with what does. Thank you for sharing the process.
I just found your channel, but it was so good and refreshing to watch the whole process and not just a 30 second video. I'm trying to watch longer videos again, 'cause my attention span is getting smaller and my anxiety is getting the best of me. Thank you for your content! Your voice is also very soothing, so that helps. I guess I'll just dig your videos too see if you made the inks
This is super amazing! i came in search of an eco friendly paper making process for my project and i think this is perfect!! thanks a bunch :)
This was fun. Glad you shared your findings. A lot of work, but so satisfying when the end result is a good one.
This would be like the most renewable paper source ever dude
When discussing preservation of brittle paper documents, my book conservation teacher said, he used gelatine solution to impregnate crumbly paper. In old receipies for minor production of paper they also mention gelatine. A simple paper is very absorbent, you need ink not to spread, to stick where you put it, so you impregnate your new sheets with some glue (but I guess you know that).
Lime powder is used to make sheets more dense, more white, and it's good for making the paper less acidic. I know this only theoretically, I'd guess a small portion is dissolved in water or something.
A paper of sports can easily be made of blanket algae. You can find it in ponds and big long-living puddles, it's like green water cotton just floating there in chunks and layers.
Inks though, natural inks are a bit tough. Most famous are probably oak gall ink and iron oxide ink. The latter eats through paper in centuries and bleeds into halos, I don't recommend it. Gall ink slowly (very, very slowly) fades, so maybe mix them. But the very best ink is basically nano-particle ink. Which is just fine soot in cherry/plum resin solution.
I find that old books - more than 50 years, closer to a hundred and over - contain many useful tips for such arts. Honestly, with bookbinding, no better techniques were invented since 19th century (only cheaper ones).
I am so glad to have found your channel. Keep creating
so glad this video randomly popped up for me! I tired to make paper out of leaves when i was a kid and it did not work. Love to see what i could have done differently!
The world needs people like you, I wish you the best
There are. The guy from Ukraine has been deploying an industrial process of leaf paper production for the last 4 or 5 years already.
Really really cool. I use ply wood planks to dry the sheets of paper on. Then just stand the boards along the wall. Also use old cotton sheeting instead of tee shirting fabric.
Super cool idea and concept. This has some potential in it... Great job! And thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
Thank you for sharing your technique.
That is so wonderful, thanks for sharing! 😊
The final product is so beautiful! Nice job!
Thank you for showing the methods and pieces of paper that didnt work! It’s good to know why some things dont work and others do when I’m learning about something new to me !
Such a grass green idea 💚. Totally eco friendly to save tree cutting. Also we can for large agricultural fibre wastes. 😊. ❤
Lovely! Just a tip that works for me. Grip and pull the tshirting without trying to pull at or peel off the paper
..it stretches and releases the paper much easier
The reason the Corn Starch didnt thicken, is because it has to reach 203°F for the Starch to actually gelatinize...if you dont heat it, nothing happens.
Thank you so much for sharing. I am new at paper making. But you have given me so many idea concepts. Appreciate you!
Love to see you write something on them. 😊
One teenager from Ukraine several years ago came up with the technology to process fallen leaves into paper. He even won a competition with this idea and received a grant to start a business. As far as I know, a large paper mill is helping the guy to set up the production of such paper.
I liked the 'from scratch ' methods that you employed because it was labor intensive real. Paper making is such an interesting topic.
Great effort and a fruitful result .. Awesome and thank you 💚
leaves so pretty
wow, great. Thank you for the inspiration. eco-friendly paper.
Love that you use old t-shirts! Everything about this video felt beautifully sustainable and I can't wait to start making my own paper :)
That's would be great for outdoor camping fireplace.
Why aren’t you going viral, I love these videos they are so calming and fun to watch
I have no knowledge on paper making nor leaves. But I couldn't stop thinking when looking you cutting down the leaves into 1" pieces: wouldn't it be easier, safer and much faster to stack a bunch of them flat on a board and slice with a knife? Just like when cutting herbs or pasta sheets in cooking. And if you don't need precise cuts and bit sizes, just put everything on the board and chop fast, you can even do it with one knife in each hand. Or even just put everything in a blender.
This was very interesting to watch! As for ideas on uses for the paper, given its background, perhaps small fairy/fae wanted posters? I feel it would fit the paper quite well
This was such a cool thing to pop up on my recommended today! Using easy to acquire tools and such to make something simple but hella useful. I loved this. ❤ Subscribing for sure.
So cool! Leaving this for the algo. Love that you talk calmly
beautiful. thank you
maybe is not perfect as paper but as a new material 🤩🥰🥰♥️♥️ you know industrial designers and eenginers nowdays are focusing on this exact topic ♥️ it’s awesome to see experiments to create new and sustainable materials and i love it! congrats 😁💕
This is so amazing thank you kindly for sharing! I will definitely be making paper!
I wondered if it'd be easier to use an immersion blender to break up the leaves? Just a thought. I love watching videos like this. This was an excellent episode. I have also seen your grass paper video as well. It was excellent too, of course!
Whichever methods are chosen to make paper for whomever is making, said paper is perfect for the creator. The fact that they have the passion and mindset to CREATE is amazing in itself. Yes, there may be better, or easier ways of accomplishing the end result, but it's a learning process and an adventure each and every time a creation is created. 4 perfect sheets of paper were the end result here, as well as the ink he intends to make with the "tea". Congrats on stucking with the process and finding a way to your end result. Corey, Keep on creating, learning and growing! Thank you for the inspiration!
Beautiful paper.
Super neat!!!!
This looks really fun, I would like to replicate the experiment with my students but I'll have to do a little bit of thinking to make it doable. Good job!
This is awesome! Glad I found this Channel!
This has probably been the most interesting thing I've heard out of someone's mouth all week. Great job.
have you ever tried grinding the boiled pulp with a mortar and pestle? very similar to what you’re doing on the stone face but might be a faster alternative or would it pulverize it too much to be useful? awesome video!
I was thinking a Mexican stone grinder, they come in different grits to make different pulps.
Soak and blitz in a blender is all you need to do!
Although you would need to be careful, because it can ruin the blender's blades. Also, it is good practice to not use that blender for food after using it for paper
@@valenmejia2135 I use my blender for everything. No branches or twigs in it means no problem with the blades. Proper cleaning and rincing means you can use it safely for food.
I was thinking it might work really well if he dried the leaves fully, stuck them in the blender and then boiled up the dust and strained it through some nylon stockings or something.
Interesting and inspiring! Paper making is something I have wanted to do for years and have never quite got to. I now have most of the equipment. I just need a dedicated blender. I am old with arthritis so a lot of natural materials would be beyond me these days, but maybe i could do some leaves. Unfortunately our native eucalypts have pretty tough leaves, don't know if I could manage those.
Thank you for shearing your experiment
Thank you for watching and commenting!
I just stumbled upon this video but I really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your process with us. Your voice is very calming :)
You might like the book series Ascendance of a Bookworm!
It makes you really appreciate paper when you see how much effort goes into making it
Wow, that was really cool. I was so focused throughout the whole video to see the end result. Very good!👍
I learned so much. Thank you.
I was thinking to start a business to make a paper from leaf. Your video is my inspiration and give me an idea how to do it and how to start. Wish me luck. 🤞
the end result was real nice, I particularly liked (from what I can see in the video) is the texture, as an artist, I'd love to see what results you could get with drawing and/or painting
Possible midrib separation technique? Use the scissors to chop each side parallel to the mid rib, then optionally run your fingers down the rib to get the last bits off.
just coming round to making paper, my husband gets a of of parcels and I kept wanting to do something with all the packaging. I also have lots of mature trees with an abundance of fallen leaves so found this interesting. Personally I love the way you ground the leaves on a stone in a very primitive way and I imagine theraputic, slow creativity in our very busy world.
Thank you this is very interesting to see I have seen paper with pressed leaves but not like this. I loved making paper in art class, I found it very relaxing. I guess when the mark comes out and I can't buy anything anymore I'll be able to make anything I want by myself. Our learned skills will come in handy. 🙏🐦❤ much love and God bless
That was super interesting. Thank you.
I suggest using covered bowls for short term storage. This will reduce your use of single use plastic bags.
This was such a lovely video to watch!
thanks for the information👍
I had no idea you could make paper out of leaf pulp. Very cool!!!
Loving your non-traditional materials in paper-making! Just FYI, the process of turning them onto a felt (or in your case t-shirt) is spelled like a couch you sit on, but pronounced "kooching," like in Cootchie Coo. No idea why, it just is. When you're removing the paper from your material, you might try turning it upside down once you have an edge loosened, and pulling the fabric off the paper, rather than the other way around. Since whichever one you are pulling off has to bend quite a bit, this could be less stressful on your delicate sheets of paper.
Your comment improved my understanding of the underlying challenges and methods of paper-making. Thank you.
maybe from the french pronunciation? 'coucher' means 'to lay' in french, and that would be consistent with the actual process happening.
Beautiful!
Very cool! Is something i would like to try in my free time.
Totally tempted to make my own hemp wraps 🤔
This is a very beautiful and thoughtful video. Subscribed!
I completely love this ...I imagine these ways of making things and how it could really save our planet in so many ways...even though it's a brown colour depending on its strength I can see it could possible be used as a medium for art such as drawing on ect ..
That's amazing! Now that I'm retired and past that workaholic, unimaginative part of my life (like, all of adulthood LOL) I want to do things like this.
so relaxing!
They’re beautiful! 😊
I'm definitely doing this next fall
This is the type of content I like to see ❤
Thank you sir for experimenting. I have an enormous amount of leaves and I was wondering if it would work. From what you have done now I will be able to make paper from leaves. Thank you
That was pretty cool, thanks.
I love this slow, less stimulating content, it's only enjoyed if you have patience
For my pottery, I use a Rubbermaid tower for bakery and instead of bakery sheets which you could use. I use two sheets of drywall for each pressing one on top and one underneath you could still probably use your T-shirt that way, but I’m the drying is much quicker, because the drywall pulls the moisture out of the paper or pottery.
Very interesting ❤❤❤❤ would love to watch you grow your channel
A permeable release film would probably help immensely with the peeling-from-t-shirt stage. I've seen it used quite a lot on @BaumgartnerRestoration's videos.
Really interesting! I wonder though, if you had thought of or considered a process more like papyrus paper making? Instead of pulping the leaves, just soak them, layer them, and then a smoothing process at the end. It would keep you fibers longer for stronger paper and maybe give a whole different look to the final product.