Paper-Making with fungi

[Funyug]

Does anyone have any experience of using common bracket fungi to make paper?
I have tried making some with birch polypore, Piptoporus betulinus, which was partially successful. I made a thick pulp by chopping the fruit bodies, soaking them for a couple of days, then processing in a blender. I then used a standard mould and deckle to make the paper. However the end product was thick, quite brittle, more like cardboard than paper, and refused to dry flat, tending to crinkle. I was thinking of adding some longer fibre, possibly thistle seeds.
I will try a paper-making forum but thought someone on this site might have more experience of these materials.

Many thanks

[Chris Yeates]

hi and welcome to WAB

I have seen an article years ago which showed a painting of a bracket fungus painted on paper made from that fungus

have been unable to chase it down as yet, but will keep trying

cheers

Chris

[Funyug]

Hi

Thanks very much, that would be great

[jonbem]

Hi
I asked my Mum who is into all sorts of crafts and a member of the WI. She said
"Not specifically from fungi, but all sorts of stuff included sometimes
- flowers, grasses, seeds etc. Will ask Rose (another member) - she did paper making as one of her crafts for WI Certificate last year. All sorts of weird things used for making knitting and crochet yarn too, such as bamboo
etc - often in my magazines, but don't remember fungi so far."

So maybe contact the knowledge of the WI at Women's Institute

Jon

[Morchella]

Found a couple of references here:

papergail: Fungi and Glen Skien

Papermaking Workshop in Finland - All Fiber Arts

These dyes from fungi are pretty interesting as well

Fungi Dyes - All Fiber Arts

But I really do have to draw the line at this hat......

Shroomworks

[Funyug]

Thanks very much for the info.
Great hat! One of the guys at From Another Kingdom exhibition at Edinburgh Botanics had one which he had bought in Bulgaria. Made out of Amadou - processed Fomes formentarius. I've got some I found in Perthshire a few weeks ago but think making a hat out of it may be beyond me.

Cheers

Guy

[Chris Yeates]

hi completely out of left field - and harking back to my hippie-er days

I remembered these lyric from a song called "Vishangro" by the late great Incredible String Band:

"I was a wasp on a nettled hill
Ten thousand brothers in a nest of fungus paper
And every sopping apple held its cider sweet for my thin tongue . . . . "

happy days

C

[mushruman]

So, Is there really any difference in the discussion of using fungi for making paper and discussion of using fungi for your lunch?

[lipase]

You could try bushcraftuk.com for paper making from fungus. I found this thread the other day about paper making, perhaps there will be people with experience there:

Making paper with fungi