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The lab is buzzing with activity. 

About twenty children are tearing up soggy cardboard into containers, adding food colouring, and blending it all into a pulp with stick-blenders.

‘Yay! A bit thinner. You have to be quick before it sets,’ the campers instruct one another as they spread the mixture.

It’s summer camp time at Aalto University Junior, and today’s project is making faux leather from instructions in the Marvelous Materials book. The colourful pages, with their exciting projects and easily understandable steps appeal to all ages. And that’s no surprise, according ���ʵ��� University Professor and co-author, Tapani Vuorinen –– because the spark of invention lives in each of us.

All 17 projects in the book use materials found in nature or the trash bin — it’s equally suitable for use at home, school or in summer camps. The book, originally published last year in Finnish to great success, now has an English edition, says Greta Isola, visual artist and art educator, and one of the authors.

‘The challenges of sustainability are global, and we all need to pitch in. While there are scattered instructions out there for bio-based materials, a full book like this hadn’t been done before. There was real demand for a version that could be loved and learned from by young people all around the world,’ she explains.

When chemistry and art meet

Marvelous Materials is both follow-up and little sibling to the adult-oriented The ChemArts Cookbook. Like its predecessor, it combines chemistry, materials science, art and design — but this time, presenting ideas for children and youth to try at home.

Vuorinen, an expert in wood chemistry, contributed to both books. His inspiration for this project was deeply personal.

‘I’ve always believed that kids, young people — really all of us — have an inner inventor. I come from the countryside, where university seemed like a distant idea. But inventing can happen anywhere, and that’s why the threshold to start experimenting should be as low as possible,’ he says.

The team wanted the book to feature a variety of materials — including some currently being researched at Aalto University. The materials are safe, non-toxic, and easy to find. The instructions are clear, with steps simple enough for all to follow and the end results –– from biodegradable glitter to orange peel playdough –– are fun and engaging. 

So what are the kids at camp making this week? ‘Something 3D, something flexible, something transparent, and some foam,’ according to Isola.

‘If you put in two hours of effort and the result flops, that’s not very rewarding,’ she adds.
‘But even more important than a perfect result is the joy of making and the learning that happens along the way.’

In workshops using the book, the starting point is often the basics — like careful measuring. Hands-on work is grounding, calming, and helps open up new ways of thinking. And enthusiasm is the best feedback.

‘If a child chooses to spend an hour and a half working on biomaterials while surrounded by friends — that says it all,’ Isola says.

Creative play for a more sustainable future

Sustainability, climate change, material scarcity, and biodiversity loss are key topics in Finnish schools. Many teachers are looking for concrete ways to tackle these complex, cross-disciplinary themes.

‘The feedback from teachers has been incredibly warm — I’ve even been hugged,’ Greta Isola laughs. ‘They get so excited about the hands-on approach, because it’s such an effective way to learn. At a workshop for teachers, everyone wanted to try every single project — it almost got out of hand! The event was fully booked, which doesn’t happen much these days.’ 

Art teachers, in particular, have been thrilled. Isola knows how they often struggle with sustainability challenges in their field: many materials are resource-heavy — ceramics need intense firing, many paints and adhesives are plastic-based. And let’s be honest — a lot of student work ends up forgotten in a drawer or tossed into mixed waste.

All materials used in the book are biodegradable — most of even compostable.

‘The book is built to first spark excitement about making and then deepen understanding of the materials and methods. That way, hands-on work connects with the bigger picture,’ Isola explains.

Creating the book has been a learning experience for the authors too. Vuorinen, with over 40 years of research experience, says he was especially touched by a dollhouse world built by a colleague’s daughter using the book’s instructions.

‘Kids are incredibly creative and smart. Talking with her at the book launch felt like chatting with a fellow researcher,’ Vuorinen says.

Isola believes adults have a lot to learn from children's and teens' creativity.

‘Adults often get stuck doing only what they’re already good at. Kids, on the other hand, learn through trial and error and ask tonnes of questions,’ she says. She also fondly recollects the many happy hours she has spent learning in a lab with Vuorinen, who has made it a point of pride that everything in the book for children and youth is scientifically accurate.

‘As a researcher, I’ve been lucky to learn so much, and it’s a joy to share that with others. I’ve realized that simplifying things helps spark interest — no matter your age. There are many paths to knowledge, and it doesn’t always have to be so serious. You can be playful, even a little silly sometimes,’ Vuorinen reflects.

Back in the lab, the happy commotion and focused energy is as tangible as the eggshell ceramic creations. Glittery wooden sunglasses and new friends — these, the participants claim, are the most magnificent creations.

In the video, Isla Seppänen, Samu Kontinen, and Nikolai Kiriazev — also seen in the photos — are making faux leather. The instructions for making faux leather, along with 16 other fascinating material experiments, can be found in the book Marvelous Materials, which will be released on September 10. Read more here.

Text: Minna Hölttä, translation: Sarah Hudson
Photos: Mikko Raskinen, video: Anna Berg

The book was produced by the Aalto University Bioinnovation Center with support from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.

The author team: Greta Isola, Tapani Vuorinen, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Susanna Ahola.

Heidi Simppala, contact person for Aalto University Junior

Marvelous Materials are featured in the Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition. Come and see the creative interior design solutions the camp participants crafted for a dollhouse using the book’s instructions!