These papers are so much more beautiful and elegant than they appear in photos...truly unique
and hard to capture the real beauty in pictures!

Over 600 years ago in the mountains of northeastern Burma, the Karen Hill-Tribe people noticed that the bark of the mulberry tree peeled from the tree at the end of each rainy season. The Karen people called it the "Saa" tree. They discovered that the "Saa" bark could be made into natural paper without harming the tree. So began the craft of making handmade paper and paper products without destroying or cutting down trees.

For the last hundred years, Hill-Tribe paper makers have been practicing their craft in the neighbouring mountains. They still use natural dyes and lay their paper in the sun to dry as did their ancestors centuries ago.

The bark of the mulberry tree is pounded into a mushy pulp, natural dyes are added, and the pulp is then put into a cloth covered frame. The water is allowed to drip away and the frame is left to dry in the sun. Natural flower petals and leaves are often added for decoration. Upon completion of the drying process, the paper is carefully peeled away from the frame. Using this process, the unique, natural paper is transformed into a large assortment of beautifully handcrafted products.