These banana trees were knocked over by a typhoon. Why let them go to waste? The trunks contain beautiful fiber.
You should select a plant from which to extract fiber for making paper that has a high content of long, strong fiber. Please see the materials page for details. Once you have identified the plant you want to use, you obviously need to collect the part of the plant containing the fiber. One thing to keep in mind at this stage is that plants next to roads, railroads, and other public areas may have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. It is best to collect your raw material 'off the beaten track.' There is no need to collect more than you can carry, unless you want to make a lot of paper.
After you have collected your raw material, you are ready to proceed to step 2.