| There are many different types of paper which | | | | the bark of the Mulberry Tree. It was called Rice |
| can be used for making paper flowers. For | | | | Paper because it was used to make packets for |
| instance Pith paper which is smooth and white as | | | | rice. The fiber comes from the bark of the tree |
| a bone, it comes from the pith of the Tetrapanax | | | | and not from the pith or inner wood and the |
| papyriferum plant (Hook). This plant remained a | | | | paper is traditionally made solely by hand. This |
| mystery for years until samples of the pith paper | | | | type of paper is also known as (washi, kozo, |
| were carried back to England to be studied by | | | | gampi or mitsumata) depending on which type of |
| Botanists among them Sir William J. Hooker, hence | | | | Mulberry Tree is used to make it. The branches |
| the nickname (Hook). In the 1950's a living | | | | are harvested in the fall so the fiber is processed |
| specimen of this plant was exported to England. It | | | | and the paper formed during the winter months, |
| originated in the swampy forest of China and | | | | because the fiber goes bad in the heat. |
| Taiwan where it is referred to as "tung-tsao" | | | | Paper flowers can also be made from Tissue |
| which means "hollow-plant", "toong-tsao" or | | | | Paper, which is the easiest and cheapest paper to |
| "bok-shung" and has been used for making | | | | work with on these projects. Tissue paper comes |
| artificial flowers and decorations for centuries | | | | in different grades and colors so there is quite a |
| however, it became popular in the eighteen | | | | variety to choose from. For example you have |
| hundreds as a surface for watercolors paintings. | | | | tissue paper napkins, toilet tissue paper and paper |
| In order to produce the Pith paper, the boughs | | | | towels which are also made of a stronger type of |
| have to be boiled and freed from bark and the | | | | tissue and which comes in different patterns and |
| cut up core of the pith is then rolled on a hard flat | | | | colors making for brighter and more colorful |
| surface against a knife, where it is cut into thin | | | | flowers. It is so simple to use that even young |
| sheets of fine ivory-like material. The white | | | | children can make paper flowers with them, |
| sheets are used mainly for watercolor surfaces | | | | without much adult supervision. Another type of |
| and the dyed sheets are used solely for the use | | | | paper is Cupcake Wrappers, which is a sort of |
| of creating artificial flowers. | | | | grease proof paper, which is also easy to manage |
| Mulberry is used to make the paper which is | | | | and suitable for small children. Cupcake Wrappers |
| commonly mistaken for Rice Paper but is not | | | | are usually used to make cupcake flowers and |
| actually made from Rice at all but from fibers of | | | | Cupcake Corsages. |