Srinagar, Nov. 15 -- For centuries, artisans in Kashmir used waste paper to create world-famous paper-mache art. Now, a new experiment by a woman artisan and her mentor in Srinagar has changed the craft's core ingredient-paper-replacing it with aquatic weeds with excellent results.

After experimenting with various land grasses and waterweeds for more than two years, 35-year-old Simran Irshad and her teacher, 50-year-old Mohammad Yousuf-both residents of the Old City-have successfully crafted this art form using weeds extracted from Dal Lake. This innovation helps shield their work from rising scrap costs and the dwindling supply of paper caused by the digital shift in the print industry.

The initiative has raised hopes that this can hel...