7. BioFabricating Materials¶

References & Inspiration¶

I created my first biomaterial project a few years ago, in 2020, during my product design studies. The only constraint of the assignment was to design an object using paper. I chose to work with papier-mâché, but also to explore natural dyeing of paper using different foods and flowers I had at home.

It was one of my first projects where I began to truly engage with material experimentation, and, unconsciously, it opened up my curiosity for innovation through making, understanding not only how to create a material, but also how to shape and transform it.

Even though researching and experimenting are among my favorite phases, what stimulates me the most is exploring how to give form to the material itself, through both traditional and contemporary tools and processes.

To introduce this new week, I’d like to recommend the book Radical Matter: Rethinking Materials for a Sustainable Future by Kate Franklin and Caroline Till. In this book, you can discover a variety of inspiring projects exploring different materials and fabrication processes based on local resources or waste. I consider it one of my must-haves in my library.

Inside, I discovered the Solidwool project by Justin and Hannah Floyd, which deeply inspired me at the beginning of my wool project. Through it, I realized that a product designer could also lead material research focused on textile innovation.

I also recommend discovering the work of Clarisse Merlet and the evolution of her project FabBrick, to see how she went from building her first brick-making machine with her father to developing an industrial process that now upcycles tons of textile waste.

You can also explore the work of my friend Loumi, who through her project Precious Peels, gives a new life to eggplant peels from a Lebanese restaurant in Brussels, transforming them into living and luminous surfaces.

Research¶

Even though I already work to valorize and reuse most of my wool, I still end up with a certain amount of waste, either during the sorting process or after washing, as some fibers become too felted or damaged to be spun again.

To explore new ways of reusing this material, I would like to experiment with bio-based composites. The idea is to combine the wool waste with natural binders such as starch, gelatin, alginate, or casein to create a new, solid material. By adjusting the ratio of fiber to binder, and by testing different drying or pressing methods, it could be possible to obtain panels, objects, or textures that preserve the tactile and insulating qualities of wool while giving it a new structural function.

This approach would allow me to transform a local textile waste into a new biomaterial, linking craft, design, and sustainability.

Tools¶

Precision scale
Blender or food processor
Hand mixer / immersion blender
Hot plate or stove
Saucepans, beakers, or double boiler (bain-marie)
Kitchen or lab thermometer
Oven or food dehydrator
Silicone molds, wooden frames, or plaster molds
Flat frames / trays for making sheets or films
Rolling pin, spatulas, or scrapers
Manual press or clamps
Baking paper / cotton fabric (for non-stick drying)
Food dehydrator or low-temperature oven

Gelatin and Wool¶

As usual, Stephanie showed us some examples of biomaterials made at Green Fabric. The textures were perfectly disgusting to the touch, but it was great to see the wide range of possibilities this technique offers !

Stephanie gave us one of GreenFabric’s recipes to make a gelatin-based biomaterial. I first tried the recipe, but I didn’t realize my scale was set to the wrong unit, which resulted in a mixture we jokingly called “the raclette” because of its smell. I made a few initial tests with it.

Since the paste was very thick, I applied it onto my wool fiber between two plastic sheets. The paste and the wool were trapped together like a sandwich, and when I opened the layers, the fiber expanded and structured itself into shapes that I would describe as deconstructed with a futuristic look.

Later, I realized the mistake and remade the recipe correctly, tripling the quantities to have a larger batch.

IngredientsToolsRecipe: Gelatin Resin BioplasticTips & Storage

80 mL water
16 g powdered gelatin
2.5 g glycerin
Essential oil (tea tree, mint, or lavender)
Optional: food coloring, natural pigments, coffee grounds, eggshells, seeds

Scale
Saucepan
Spoon or spatula
Stove or hot plate
Embroidery hoops with plastic sheets (or any mold)

Prepare your mold: place the plastic sheet between the embroidery hoop frames, add decorative elements if desired.
Weigh all ingredients into a saucepan.
Heat gently (60–80°C), stirring slowly to prevent bubbles.
When syrupy, remove from heat and add a few drops of essential oil.
Pour mixture into prepared hoop and mix in optional additives.
Let dry flat for 1–2 hours depending on thickness.
Remove plastic, reassemble hoops, and hang to dry both sides evenly.
Full drying may take a few days.

Do not immerse in water.
Make sure it is fully dry before handling.
Do not heat above 60 °C.
Biodegradable, can be remelted and reshaped.

I was always told that my wool couldn’t be spun industrially because it’s considered too “hairy” and could block the machines. So, I thought gelatin could be a good binder to help the fibers hold together and become a thread. I used a funnel to guide and keep the fiber tight, then, with a syringe, I injected my gelatin mixture, which was much more liquid this time. By pulling the entire length of the wool through the funnel, I obtained a thread that I then left to dry.

I also experimented with a mold that I filled with wool mixed with gelatin. Once filled, I placed it in the dehydrator, but the mold began to melt, so I unmolded the piece and left it to dry on its own.

In my work, I also explore wool braids as a material, and to give it a more graphic quality, I decided to coat a strand with gelatin and let it dry wrapped around a pen.

Once dry, all the samples had become rigid, but what interested me most was the shape-memory aspect and the elasticity that the gelatin brought to the material. I placed two samples made with my first failed recipe in the dehydrator, which allowed me to obtain a much drier and more rigid material.

The next day, using the same recipe, I continued experimenting based on my first observations and the new ideas that came to mind. I had a lot of fun !

I wanted to try a new recipe I found on Material Factors, with less gelatin but more glycerol. Since this recipe was more viscous, I decided to apply it to my fibers with a brush. This technique was very practical, cleaner, and allowed the material to spread more evenly. It felt like working with fiberglass to create a shell. Petite contrainte à cette recette, elle met beaucoup de jours à sécher. A small drawback with this recipe is that it takes several days to dry completely.

Ingredients (Metric)Ingredients (Imperial)EquipmentRecipe: Gelatin Resin BioplasticTips & Storage

6.0 g gelatin
360 mL 1% glycerol
120 mL water

2 tsp gelatin
1.5 cups 1% glycerol
0.5 cup water

Nonstick pan
Silicone sheet
Spoon or spatula

Add gelatin to 1% glycerol solution and stir until well-mixed.
Add water and allow gelatin to bloom before adding to heat.
Heat mixture to just below boiling. Scoop off any foam that forms with a spoon.
Pour into a mold or cast into a sheet.
Let dry flat for 1–2 hours depending on thickness.

Do not immerse in water.
Avoid heating above 60 °C.
Biodegradable; can be remelted and reshaped.

Once the samples were dry, I really liked the wool “glass” shapes and the spring-like braids. I wanted to continue exploring these ideas by developing them around two templates: a shallow dish and a plastic cup. I lined these with wool and added a braid to reinforce the material while also bringing in additional detail.

With the leftover cold gelatin, I microwaved it to make it liquid again and added a bit of glycerol to make it more fluid. I then poured it into a spray bottle to mist the raw wool, hoping it would adhere while keeping that fluffy, cotton-candy-like texture.

Alginate Sodium and Wool¶

Ingredients (Metric)Ingredients (Imperial)EquipmentRecipe: Sodium Alginate Gel

20 g sodium alginate
200 mL water
5 g glycerol (optional, for flexibility)
1 tsp natural dye or pigment (optional)

2 tbsp sodium alginate
¾ cup water
1 tsp glycerol (optional)
½ tsp natural dye or pigment (optional)

Blender or hand mixer
Nonstick tray or silicone mold
Calcium chloride solution (for setting)
Pipette or spoon
Gloves (recommended)

Dissolve sodium alginate in water using a blender or hand mixer until smooth.
Add glycerol and pigment if desired, mix again until homogeneous.
Let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes to remove air bubbles.
Prepare a *calcium chl

Mycelium¶¶

IngredientsToolsRecipe: Mycelium BiomaterialTips & Storage

Substrate (coffee grounds, straw, wood chips, or cellulose mix)
Mycelium (spores or liquid culture)
Optional: natural protective finish (oil, wax, eco-friendly varnish)
Alcohol (for demonstration)

Clean container
Mold (optional, to shape the material)
Gloves
Oven or drying area
Spoon or spatula for mixing
3 Butagaz burners (for demonstration)

Prepare and sterilize/pasteurize the substrate.
Mix the mycelium into the substrate under clean conditions.
Place the mixture in a container and incubate in a warm, humid environment (20–25°C) until fully colonized (few days to several weeks).
Transfer the colonized substrate into molds if you want specific shapes.
Let the mycelium continue growing until the mold is fully filled.
Dry the material completely to stop growth (air dry or low-temperature oven).
Optional: Apply a protective natural coating (oil, wax, varnish) to increase durability or water resistance.

Keep in a dry place to avoid mold growth after drying.
Can be cut, shaped, or sanded once dry.
Biodegradable and compostable.

To be comming soon...

Results of this week¶

In conclusion, this week was marked by a strong phase of experimentation and observation. It allowed me to better understand the potential of gelatin as a natural binder and to confirm my interest in developing a flexible, textured, and biodegradable material made from my wool waste.