Naheed Hafiz

‘Best out of waste’ seems to be the mantra at ‘The Paper Shoppe’ located at the plush Tardeo in Mumbai. ‘The Paper Shoppe’ was founded by Naheed Hafiz, who rejoices in the fact that there is a lot more awareness about handmade paper today, as compared to the yester years. However, Naheed confesses that it was her fascination towards handmade paper that pushed her into learning the art as well as taking it ahead by making it her field of business.

She has indeed come a long way with something that started as a mere hobby 15 years ago to the mass awareness and demand for handmade paper that prevails in the market today. And, if the present scenario is anything to go by handmade recycled paper has a promising future.

The best part about handmade paper is the ‘eco- friendliness’ of the materials used like old papers, used exercise books, cotton rags, onion garlic peels, corn husk, banana stem, mulberry stem, dried flowers and grated orange peel to make paper, while cardamom flakes or even kadi patta are added for fragrance. Some of the wares on offer include jute paper, banana stem paper and moon rock-effect paper.

In the beginning, exhibitions paved the way for Naheed to take her passion for paper to the next level– making it into a serious business seven years later. Naheed also makes it clear that she not only makes handmade paper herself but also sources it from various places of India to stock the best variety in the market.

The cost of each sheet ranges from Rs. 10 to 50 depending on the variety of sheets of different colors and textures which can be acquired by using enhancing techniques like embroidery block print and tie-and-dye technique. She also sells envelopes, bags, folders, dairies, note pads all made of handmade paper.

The most appealing aspect of making handmade paper is the convenience with which it can be made with easily available materials, even at home.

Naheed has also made sure that the art of handmade paper- making has a wide reach which will enable handmade paper to become the ‘it’ thing among the Indian masses today and tomorrow by conducting workshops for kids and adults on making of handmade paper and its products. She has held workshops for various schools, NGOs and even at the Kala Ghoda Festival.

She has more feathers to her cap with an NGO – ‘Handmade Foundation for Environment and Recycling’ running under her guidance.

Last, but not the least she has a little nugget of advice for her fellow countrymen -“It is in the hands of each and every individual to make a difference by reducing and recycling paper at home.”

Materials needed
1. Mixer, sieve (One used for flour- it has to be a detachable sieve)
2. Cloth/towel pieces 4-5 inches bigger than the sieve size.
3. Old notebooks two blocks of wood
4. A tub/bucket and water

The handmade papermaking process involves seven steps

Soaking
Tear the sheets of old paper in small size and soak the paper in water for an hour. Till they become soft and easier to grind.

Pulping
The soaked paper is ground in a mixer with water (paper:water ratio – 1:3) for 5 minutes or till it turns in to a fine pulp .The mixer is to be cleaned thoroughly after use and see that no small shreds of paper remain.

Sheet forming
Fill the tub half with water, and empty the pulp in this. Take the sieve dip it in the tub, lift it gently, you will see that a thin layer of sheet settles on the sieve, tap lightly to remove excess water.

Couching
The process of placing the paper sheets between wet cloths is called ‘couching’. The sieve is detached from the ring and the sheet formed on the sieve is carefully inverted on a cloth/towel and pressed firmly, once the sheet has settled firmly on the cloth ,the sieve is gently separated from the sheet (start from the corners). Cover the sheet with a cloth/towel. It is important to note that there should be a cloth below and above the sheet formed.

Continue making sheets this way till you have a pile of sheets. The pile of sheets is then pressed.

Pressing
The pile of sheets is placed between two blocks of wood, stand on it in a steady posture till the water drains out. Place heavy weight or trunk on it and allow it to stand for a few hours.

Drying
After pressing each sheet is gently removed from the cloth and dried on the floor or in the sun .When the paper is dry you then iron it.

Ironing
To give a finish to the paper and remove the creases it is ironed. This also gives the paper a shine.

The paper made is round; you can cut it in square.

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