Paper material guide
Mulberry paper
Mulberry Paper: read the 25 to 46 gsm examples and handling notes. Folding, cutting and glue tips. Find craft uses, sheet sizes and weight equivalents.
25–46 gsmFolds: Choose smoothBest for: Fibrous decoration
Mulberry paper uses the inner bark of the paper mulberry plant, also called kozo. It can be made by hand or machine. Unryu includes visible strands across a light sheet and is sold in many countries.
- Typical weight
- 25–46 gsm
- US lb · calculated at the named basis
- 16.9–31.1 lb text equivalent (25 × 38 in, 500 sheets)
Weights to look for
Thai unryu is sold at 25 gsm; Awagami Kozo Natural Select is 46 gsm. These examples span light decorative sheets and a smoother art paper.
Folding, creasing, cutting and gluing
- Fold
- Long fibres resist tearing, but a loose decorative sheet can be too soft to hold a crisp standing model.
- Crease
- Use a smooth tool gently. For origami, cut a test square and check whether the crease remains shut before making a full model.
- Cut
- Sharp scissors cut through visible fibres more cleanly than a blunt blade. Wet tearing is an option for a feathered collage edge.
- Glue
- Apply adhesive sparingly because an unsized sheet absorbs water. A thin layer suits flat collage; hide joins on translucent sheets.
What to make
Use it for layered decoration and textured flower petals. Our tissue flower works best with ordinary craft tissue for its first attempt.
Common sheet and pack sizes
Thai unryu is sold as Letter, 12 × 12 and 25 × 37 inch sheets; Awagami’s 46 gsm example is 43 × 52 cm.