The 12 Best Handmade rag Papers (2023 reviews)

Compared with other paper in this category, the wanderings good paper has a design with broader appeal. This paper is meant for old school pen and ink projects, such as freehand calligraphy, sketching, etc. It is perfect for crafts, doodling, letters, invitations, or maps for hidden treasures. The paper is quite absorbent but thinned acrylic paint will work well. It has very dark, wide bands of ink all around the edges. The surface is smooth enough for drawing however, as with most art paper, using an eraser on it does change the texture and removes some of the color, so it's noticeable.

These sheets would be great sewn together to make a little book, printed with lines to make personal stationary, or printed with instructions for vacation rentals or parties. Being 100% cotton rag, the paper itself is very strong. It is good for small watercolor paintings for greeting cards etc.

Why We Like This:

All edges are deckled and stained
Great for bookmaking and other art projects
Antique looking papers with a lovely deckled edge

Best With Acrylic Paint: Lear Village Handmade rag Paper

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Acid free sheets in these watercolor mix media sketchbook help keep your art work vibrant and long lasting. It provides 100% pure cotton handmade paper suitable for all dry and wet mediums. If you take the time to fill this up with nice drawings this will make a nice keepsake and something you will be able to hold on to for decades as the paper is made from 100% virgin cotton to last for generations.

This 100% cotton watercolor paper has neutra ph to keep your artwork safe for centuries. It can be used for dry and wet medium but unlike other sketchbook they are suitable for watercolor, oil pastel, pencil color, charcoal, pen and ink drawings. If you like dry brush painting, or charcoal work, this paper is unbeatable. The paper comes in a durable box so you can store your wonderful artwork for decades.

Why We Like This:

Creamy paper is beautiful to the touch & eye
Holds up well with ink pens and magic markers
Good investment for long term

Best For craft projects: Wanderings Handmade rag Paper

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These one-of-a-kind raw edge handmade paper sheets are a great alternative to traditional watercolor paper or writing paper. It is made using traditional practices passed through generations dating back to 14th century india. The white cotton paper is definately the better one in terms of quality. It is perfect for crafts, letters, invitations, or maps for hidden treasures.

The paper is both soft to the touch but holds up strongly against heavy use with a fountain pen, watercolour, and pencil drawing. This raw-edge paper is not always cut evenly. It is a little unsuited for just pencil drawing but details finished in pencil crayon are just fine. These papers are Beautiful, delivered in timely manner as well.

Why We Like This:

Very nice handmade cotton rag paper
Makes you feel like you are writing a treatise to a king
Great for junk journals, watercolor and more
Withstands the moisture and dries unblemished

Best With gouache: Nomadcraftsco Handmade rag Paper

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The nomadcraftsco handmade rag paper has killer features for the price point. These papers are made from 100% recycled and acid-free materials, with 150 gsm thick, strong, slick-smooth & durable features. The paper is a little thicker than printer paper. It comes in 8x5 inches to add to that it is great for making small leather journals. The clean and straight cut copies were wonderful post-printing and rolled into scrolls nicely, there was no bleeding on the printed pages, and students loved the aesthetic.

It's very loosely made. It's a beautiful color and texture also thick. It is easy to use like gouache or watercolor.

Why We Like This:

Lovely antiqued paper with deckeled edge
Works great for making small leather journals
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For Cyanotype: Lear Village vintage Paper

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Scrapbook paper comes in various sizes, you can use this handmade paper and give wings to your creativity. It is made from 100% egyptian cotton & can be used as classic scroll paper or invitation paper as well. It is white / cream in colour with a good texture. The Sizing paper in the manufacturing process allows it to let water sit on top of it rather than to absorb it and buckle the paper.

The paper comes in a durable box so you can store your wonderful artwork for decades. It offers great versatility for the medium of choice. It is perfect gift for someone who loves to pain or draw. The thickness offers great versatility for the medium of choice.

Why We Like This:

Handmade, well crafted consistent cotton paper
Watercolors glide over paper just fine
Very sturdy paper and really pretty

Best For Drawing pens: Khadi Handmade rag Paper

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Khadi has been making great paper for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and appropriate materials. This is really beautiful paper. It is good for wet watercolor technique, craft and scrapbook. It is made from 100% long fibered cotton rag, resulting in exceptional strength and durability. They are slightly flimsy with a consistency of many layers of newspaper.

These are tub sized (surface sized) with gelatine. They also work well as backgrounds for emulsion lifts from Polaroid prints. The deck edges are very attractive. It performs beautifully for watercolor.

Why We Like This:

Beautiful, well priced for a variety of artistic purposes
Rag paper perfect for drawing pens
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best Heavy Paper: Khadi Papers Handmade rag Paper

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If you often find yourself confused about appropriate and satisfactory paper, khadi papers handmade rag paper should be your first option for buying. This particular paper is very thick, almost like a piece of thin board. It has texture but isn’t rough. It is no chlorine or harmful chemicals used in the production of this paper. These are art papers handmade from 100% long fibered cotton rag giving them exceptional strength and durability. The texture and the edges look really nice and make your art more attractive.

This is very fine hand made papers too. It's very sturdy, both with sewing and with wet media. These are tub sized (surface sized) the traditional way with gelatin. It is perfect for book making.

Why We Like This:

Deckled edges enhance any drawing or painting
Beautiful, hand-made cotton watercolor paper with a deckled edge
Holds water well and absorbs paint well

Best For pen: Nomadcraftsco vintage Paper

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This paper has the authentic look and feel of handmade paper. It features a deckle-edged vintage paper that looks and feels like it’s a thousand years old. It's a rough and dry texture like a cold pressed water color paper. It does so well with heavy papers.

These handmade ancient-looking rustic papers are made from environment-friendly raw materials, pressed to make the desired thickness, and sundried. It is slick-smooth, thick, strong, luxurious, and durable which is suitable for any kind of mixed media art. These papers are made from 100% recycled and acid-free materials, 200 gsm of water and water color paper. The paper also has lots of character.

Why We Like This:

Very durable and also use them for framed collage works
Full sheets make an excellent full size cover
Very durable and easily torn to various sizes

Best For Professional: Indigo Artpapers Handmade rag Paper

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The indigo artpapers handmade rag paper's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. Indigo Art Papers are handmade so the cold press surface is rougher than your typical cold press watercolor paper. It features ivory-white 100% cotton rag and has exceptional strength and durability. It's a wonderful thick quality but responds to water and adhesives.

The paper has a texture similar to that of a roller blind, which remain visible and is distracting when looking at a water color painting. It is acid-free and both internally and externally sized. This art paper is best suited for watercolor. It is made by using traditional handmade paper techniques.

Why We Like This:

New and hot release
Good brand reputation

Best For charcoal: Deckle Papers Handmade rag Paper

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This gorgeous, HAND-MADE deckled edge paper (rough-edge) prevents bleed-through and feels amazing. It is perfect for sketching and drawing and can provide you with the proper tones and tints. The paper is eco-friendly paper. These are soft-textured study sheets that are lightweight and simple to hold. The paper accepts every kind of dry colors like pencil colors, crayons, and wax bars.

These papers are perfect for calligraphy paper, sketch paper, art, and craft paper, use any pen pencil. The pages contain natural flecks and a naturally rougher texture.

Why We Like This:

Fill up these hand-made paper-sheets with your emotions
Environmentally sensitive and watercolor and pen friendly
Blank recycled cotton paper that's acid-free, chemical-free and tree-free
Made deckled edge paper ( rough - edge ) prevents bleed

Best For oil Painting: Artway Handmade rag Paper

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Artway offers a variety of paper for personal choice and yet maintaining quality in all the variants. This pack of a5 cotton rag paper contains 40 sheets. It is individually handmade and features a fully deckled edge with natural variations in texture, size and shape between each sheet due to the handmade nature of the product. It is suitable for watercolour and other painting techniques as well as a range of dry and soft media. It also aids work in pen, graphite and pencil when a more stable surface is required.

The surface of the paper has been smoothed flat having been cold pressed a number of times through rollers. It is 100% acid-free with a neutral ph. This paper is naturally tough providing durability and support for many different applications. It can be created entirely by local artisans in northern india using traditional paper-making methods.

Why We Like This:

Good investment for long term
One of the new comers and featured product

Best For Watercolour Painting: Indigo Artpapers Art Paper

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The indigo artpapers art paper is capable of outshining several other paper featured in this list in overall features for the price point. This art paper is best suited for watercolors. It features ivory-white 75% cotton and 25% flax blend paper. It is made with a nice atypical fiber mix. It is acid-free and both internally and externally sized. The cotton rag ensures durability and the flax imparts exceptional strength.

It is made by using traditional handmade paper techniques. It is a little fragile and does not take scrubbing very well.

Why We Like This:

Strong paper and excellent for watercolor, acrylic and collage
Lovely texture and doesn't soak up the watercolor
Good brand reputation

The 12 Best Handmade rag Papers (2023 reviews)

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Wanderings Good Paper

Best With Acrylic Paint: Lear Village Handmade rag Paper

Best For craft projects: Wanderings Handmade rag Paper

Best With gouache: Nomadcraftsco Handmade rag Paper

Best For Cyanotype: Lear Village vintage Paper

Best For Drawing pens: Khadi Handmade rag Paper

Best Heavy Paper: Khadi Papers Handmade rag Paper

Best For pen: Nomadcraftsco vintage Paper

Best For Professional: Indigo Artpapers Handmade rag Paper

Best For charcoal: Deckle Papers Handmade rag Paper

Best For oil Painting: Artway Handmade rag Paper

Best For Watercolour Painting: Indigo Artpapers Art Paper

10 Best Handmade Cotton rag Papers