Bougainvillea Paper: Crafting Nature into Design

Designer Nada Elkharashi redefines sustainable craft by creatively using bougainvillea petals, a plant deeply rooted in Qatar’s natural scenery. The project began with “an observational moment,” as she describes it: picking up fallen petals, looking around, and wondering how far this humble material could be pushed. What started as simple curiosity evolved into the exploration of materiality and the reimagining of craft traditions.

inspired by regional histories of papermaking, Elkharashi revives traditional techniques by turning the petals into pulp, removing tough fragments, mixing them with water, and forming sheets using a fine mesh. Through experimentation, she discovered that avoiding harsh sun exposure helps the petals retain their natural vibrancy, resulting in richly colored papers that carry both texture and memory. Each sheet holds both the flower's fragility and the memory of the place it came from.

For Elkharashi, the project extends beyond sustainability as a buzzword. “The word sustainability has been overused,” she emphasized that her work is more about mindset, behavior, and emotional connection than about performative “green” design. The process from collecting petals off the ground to watching them become paper often evokes sincere emotional responses from those who viewed her work. “People were crying, they were emotionally involved,” she recalls, describing how the transformation feels like witnessing new life emerge from something overlooked.

This process is not only sustainable but deeply communal. The petals are collected from shared outdoor spaces, reinforcing the relationship between people and their environment. Each sheet becomes a quiet collaboration between place, craft, and nature.

Elkharashi’s bougainvillea paper has since found its way into sensory installations, such as her interactive work at the Fire Station, and into commercial applications like biodegradable cards and editorial prints. As interest grows, Elkharashi hopes readers understand not just the material innovation but the story behind it, how local nature, community participation, and mindful experimentation can collectively reshape how we think about materials. Through her work, even the simplest flower petal becomes a reminder of design’s power to shift perception, behavior, and emotional connection.

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