Handmade paper is an ancient art believed to have come to India with the Mughal emperor, Babur. With him came the best artists, craftsmen, designers and scholars who brought the art of paper making from Turkey. Cotton rags, hosiery cuttings and recycled handmade paper is used as the raw material that goes through a cycle of beating, sheet formation, pressing, peeling and drying, sizing to create sheets of handmade paper. This indigenous environment-friendly art can be easily done at home, and makes for some beautifully rustic art paper, lampshades, photo frames, bags etc.