Many handmade papers are art works in their own right. Paper makers often frame especially unique pieces of hand-made paper to show in exhibitions. Paper can be made of many and varied substances cotton and hemp, flax leaves and many other plant fibers all make a wonderful variety of organic papers. Other parts of the plant like flowers and seeds may be added during the process for decoration of the finished paper.

A five-thousand year old legend has it that an imperial Chinese princess discovered the secret of the silk fiber. A silkworm cocoon accidentally dropped into a cup of tea, and as she retrieved it, it dissolved to reveal a shimmering filament strong enough to be used for textiles. And so the great silk industry was born.

Just as valued as the silk fiber were the techniques to apply that fiber decoratively to cloth, also perfected by the Chinese. Needles of bronze, ivory, and bone have been found in Chinese archeological sites dated around 3000 BC, which implies that embroidery probably existed at that time.