Cut saplings or young branches from older trees that yield the best bark cloth. Depending on the geographical region you are in, this can be the paper mulberry tree; a certain ficus; the breadfruit tree in Hawaii, Samoa and other Pacific islands; or red cedar in the Pacific Northwest.
Cut a lengthwise slit in the branch just deep enough to cut through the outer and inner bark layers. Strip off these layers in one piece. Lay out the strip with the inner bark side up and separate the outer from the inner layer at one corner. Peel the inner bark off the outer bark.
Soak the inner bark in seawater for two weeks then lay it out flat and scrape with shells. Scraping gets rid of any leftover outer bark or green growth and also makes the fibers more flexible.
Fold the strip so that it is about a foot long and lay it on a hard surface. Beat it with a hardwood bat until the bark is thin and flexible. You can make the fabric larger by overlapping two beaten pieces at the edges and beating them flat.
Take care at this stage because the bark cloth is like wet paper and easily damaged. Lay the bark cloth in the sun to dry.
Dye or paint the bark cloth. Place the dried bark cloth on a raised, patterned board and press it into the design with your hands or a tool. Some people use a temporary adhesive such as arrowroot and water to adhere the bark cloth to the board. Use a local, natural substance such as those extracted from roots, seeds, nuts or other tree bark. Put the dye or paint on the bark cloth and spread it evenly so that the design from the board underneath shows through. You can apply more paint or dye in certain areas to enhance the design. Allow the bark cloth to dry.
Remove the cloth from the board.