Handmade lokta paper from the Himalayas

Kathmandu Valley Co. paper is handmade in Nepal from tree-free Lokta paper. Spread by hand over screens, dried in mountain sun, and made for printing or writing.

See the Printer PaperGreeting Cards

A stack of handmade 5x7 lokta card stock with feathered deckle edges on a wooden table in window light

The three papers people come back for

Every sheet is the same natural, unbleached lokta. The petals are real cornflower added during the paper creation process.

From bush to sheet

Lokta paper is made from cuttings of the lokta bush which grow in the Himalayas of Nepal. Lokta strips are cooked into a mash and then spread by hand over boxed screens and set to dry in the Himalayan sunshine, creating one of the world’s finest handmade papers. The oldest example of lokta paper dates back over 1,000 years.

  1. The lokta bush

    1The lokta bush

    Daphne bushes grow on the southern slopes of the Himalayas between 5,250 and 13,000 feet. Cut properly, a bush sends up three to eight new shoots.

  2. Bark, stripped and dried

    2Bark, stripped and dried

    Only the inner bark is used. It is peeled, dried and carried down to the paper-making villages.

  3. Cooked in barrels

    3Cooked in barrels

    The strips are cooked into a soft mash over a wood fire.

  4. Made into pulp

    4Made into pulp

    The cooked bark is rinsed, picked over by hand and beaten until the fibers separate.

  5. Spread over screens

    5Spread over screens

    The pulp is spread by hand over boxed screens, one sheet at a time.

  6. Dried in the sun

    6Dried in the sun

    The screens are set out to dry in the Himalayan sunshine.

  7. The deckle edge

    7The deckle edge

    Where the pulp thinned out against the frame the edge stays feathered. No two sheets are alike.

Handmade in Nepal

Take a journal with you on your next adventure, or print on our handmade computer paper, or try our lokta wrapping paper and greeting cards.

Learn About Lokta

A row of brass prayer wheels along a stone wall, snowy Himalayan peaks behind

Preserve the art

Celebrate with us the time-honored tradition of handmade paper. The oldest example of lokta paper dates back over 1,000 years. It’s one of the world’s finest handmade papers, tough, yet soft to touch.

Treasure the source

Lokta paper has been handmade using a process that has changed little in centuries. The lokta bush is not destroyed when cut. It regrows quickly, making it the perfect source for treasured paper.

Make memories

Take time to appreciate the handmade, the human touch, and use your journal, greeting cards, printer paper, and even the handmade wrapping paper to make memories with those you love.

Lokta printer paper, three styles

Every sheet is 8½ × 11 natural lokta, calendered smooth enough to run through inkjet and laser printers and still unmistakably handmade. Choose the edge and the finish.

Deckle edge
The feathered edge left by the frame, on all four sides. For letters, menus and anything meant to be kept.
Clean-cut
Trimmed square for everyday printing, certificates and craft projects.
With flower petals
Cornflower, marigold or bougainvillea petals pressed into the sheet. For invitations and announcements.

View the Printer PaperPrinting Guide

Sheets of Kathmandu Valley Co. handmade lokta printer paper on a wooden desk beside tingsha cymbals, a prayer wheel and a pen
Nepali Everest Explorer leather journal with a wrap strap and deckle-edge lokta pages

Journals like no other

Your journal’s adventure begins high in the Himalayan mountains where lokta bushes grow. Handmade paper from the lokta bush is soft, almost fabric-like, but holds up under rugged conditions.

The journals are available in leather, lokta hardcover, and lokta softcover with many color options derived from plant-based sources such as black walnut husks, pomegranate & indigo, and natural cutch resin.

Handmade JournalsNew: Heritage Deluxe Editions

“We travel not to escape life but so that life does not escape us.”

Unknown traveler

More from the valley

  • Handmade journals

    Made with our signature handmade lokta paper and featuring vegetable (plant-based) dyes, each journal is unique with its own personality.

  • Lokta gift wrap

    View our handmade lokta wrapping paper available in various solid colors, print designs, and vegetable (plant-based) colors. Lokta wrapping paper is tough, yet soft, and easily reusable.

  • Greeting cards

    Send a thank you note or greeting with a special touch of handmade greeting cards and envelopes. Made with lokta paper and speckled with real flower petals with cornflower, marigold, or bougainvillea.

  • Cotton-based papers

    Create something amazing with cotton-based papers, handmade from upcycled textile surplus.

  • Envelopes and folders

    Natural or cornflower lokta envelopes in 4x6 and 5x7, and lokta folders to match.

All handmade paper products

Save 10% on your first order

Receive 10% off your first order and get exciting news on new product releases and special promotions from Kathmandu Valley Co.

Save 10% on your first order

Handmade lokta paper from the Himalayas. Tree-free, and no two sheets alike.