Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Washi paper (Rakusui) split tube
- 1 July 2015
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Washi: Wa means Japanese and shi means paper.
Rakusui Washi is made by dripping water on the paper while it's being made. These sheets were made by hand in South of Japan on Shikoku Island
Cover a cylindrical vase with cling wrap
Rip the Washi paper into small snippets
It's better to rip the paper than to cut it because you want to preserve the long fiber strands and also hide the water source for the flowers between the loose strands
Thin some white wood glue with warm water
Dip the Washi paper in the glue and smooth it on the vase
Create a collar with the white Washi paper, dipping into a deep slit in the front of the design
Loosen up the strands around the edge and add a second layer. Make sure the strands form a pocket between the two layers. These pockets should be just big enough to slip small vials into, completely hiding them from sight
For detailed instructions on how I make these tiny test tubes from drinking straws see the Tutorial below
Start gluing a second row of Washi tape. I used a light green to compliment the pastel colours of the flowers. Overlap the colours to make it transition smoothly
Cover the back of the vase with Washi paper
Add a second layer of Waski paper
Follow the shape in the front and cover the remaining space with Washi paper
Set the shape aside to dry completely.
Loosen the paper by slipping your hand between the paper and the cling wrap.
Peel the paper from the wrap
Slip the tiny straw test tubes between the top layers of Washi paper and secure with a small drop of glue.
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Tutorials
When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need. If you can't find a suitable drinking straw... I also have an upgrade: tiny food grade pipe water tubes.
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