I’ve recently been stumped by some comments and emails I’ve received from readers. Paper mache can be used for so many different kinds of projects, and I have to admit that I’m not an expert in every single one of them. I thought it would be useful to compile a few of the more common questions here, in case you and other readers might be able to offer some suggestions. So – here goes:
1. How do you make a paper mache tree? This has been asked a number of times. Some people would like to know how to make realistic bark textures (I always suggest using the paper mache clay and using real bark as a stamp, but you may have other ideas). Our latest commenter wants to put a very large tree in her classroom, and the first thing I think of when I hear about that type of project is “how do you make it safe?” If you’ve made a paper mache tree for your home or classroom, please offer your suggestions and advice below.
2. Have you ever used expanding foam (the kind used to insulate cracks in walls) to make a paper mache sculpture both strong and light? This has come up several times lately, and one reader suggested it to Joanne, who makes life-sized figures with paper mache. But so far, we haven’t heard from anyone who has given step-by-step instructions that we can use for our own projects. If you’ve used this product for a paper mache project, please let us know how it turned out, and how you did it.
3. The foam question actually fits in with this next question, too. As you might recall, I originally intended to use my baby elephant as an experiment to see if it really is possible to make paper mache waterproof enough to stand up to the weather. I chickened out after spending several weeks making her. I even wrote a post linking to another artist who has done smaller experiments and who claims that marine (spar) varnish will protect paper mache outside.
So here’s where the foam fits in – I think I’ll do a smaller sculpture (one that takes days rather than weeks), and use the paper mache clay instead of paper strips and paste. Once the clay is dry, I would remove the crumpled paper and masking tape form, to reduce the possibility of mold growing inside, and replace it with expanding foam. Then I’d paint the sculpture and protect it with marine varnish. Has anyone ever tried anything like this? If so, I’d love to know how it turned out.
4. Have you ever tried using either the make-it-yourself paper mache clay or a commercial paper mache product to make a three-dimensional painting? Brynn is making an acrylic painting on canvas and needs to add paper mache. Will it stick? Should something stiffer than canvas be used for this type of project? Have you tried it, and did it work?
5. Denise would like to know if liquid starch can be used as the paste for a paper mache project. I’ve never tried it. Have you? (Her class is making a river dolphin. How fun is that?)
That’s enough questions for today. If you have the answer to any of the questions, please enlighten us in the comments area below.
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{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
yea im making an art project and its made up of cardboard and plastic wrap so will it stick? reply ASAP
Paper mache won’t stick to plastic, but it will stick to itself. You may have no problems at all.
I want to paper mache on a mail box for indoors – will it stick ok to the metal?
It will probably stick, but the sun and rain may destroy it. You’ll need to protect it with a waterproof varnish that has a UV inhibitor. Also, the paper may shrink a little as it dries, so it could crack. Good luck with it – and let us know how it turns out.
Hi
Interesting site
We are making 3 Butterflies ( 3′ accross min) for a Charity event decoration. We are wondering if we should use stiff wire frames and tissue paper on chicken wire .,or use some form of foam board for the wing shape……any ideas
Thanks Pat
Hi Patsy. I think the wire frames are a good idea, but if you use tissue paper the chicken wire will show through. If you use any sort of paper mache over a wide flat surface, like foam board or cardboard, it will warp if the cardboard isn’t well sealed. Probably the easiest way to go is your wire idea, using newspaper instead of tissue paper, and use just two layers front and back. Then let the butterflies dry all the way through and paint.
Be sure to post a photo when they’re done. This sounds like a fun project.
Could you help me with this question? I have completed a papier mache fox and want to find a medium that would let me add a coat of fur to the fox; so that his coat is three dimensional and swirly looking instead of being flat and painted. Would this be a medium mixed with paint or something to add as a top coat?
Thanks so much for any of your thoughts! Kathleen
You might want to try the paper mache clay recipe on this site if you want some really thick fur. It’s great for that sort of thing. For a fur texture but without adding bulk to your sculpture, you can use acrylic gesso, or make some home-made gesso using one of the recipes at the bottom of this post. If you make the gesso quite thick you can make really nice fur using a stiff brush. It think you can also get acrylic artists medium that is quite thick and will do the same thing – you’d need to browse around at the art store to find it. (There’s no art store in my town, so DIY is pretty much my only option.)
Jonni,
Thanks for such a quick response and such great ideas. It’s starting to feel really doable. I will share your suggestions with my group. If we pull this off, I’ll be sending photos to everyone I can think of. We are so psyched. Thanks again, Angie
I came across this post as I began my internet search for instructions on building a tree. I am the special exhibits chairperson for my quilt guilds next show. Our committee wants to include a display of a life sized Dogwood tree complete with quilted leaves and flowers.
None of us have any sort of sculpture knowledge (just lots of enthusiasm for the idea). Does anyone have any advice (or a link to share) on how to gracefully and realistically transition from the tree trunk to the branches?
You all have provided lots of great information for us to get started. Thank you so much.
Angie, if you are making a stand-alone tree that will “sprout” up from the middle of the floor, I recommend that you use rebar. You can find 3/8 inch rebar at the lumber store, where they sell it to reinforce concrete. It isn’t very easy to bend in a 45 degree angle, but it can be done. More graceful curves and bends are fairly easy. I would start with a bundle of rebar for the trunk of your tree, and bend the bottom of each piece at a sharp angle so you end up with “roots” that will stabilize the structure. (The roots will probably have to be weighted, as well.) Then wire the rest of the trunk together, and begin bending out branches in an artistic manner. Smaller branches can be added with heavy wire. Once the skeleton is finished, you can cover all the metal with a few layers of paper mache. If you want a realistic texture on the trunk you might add a layer of the paper mache clay, and use a piece of real bark as a stamp to create the texture in the wet clay.
I hope this is helpful. Please remember that I’m actually making this up – this is how I’d go about it, but I haven’t done any experiments with it myself. The most important thing, I think, is to make sure your skeleton is completely stable, and it won’t fall over if someone tries to pull on any of the “leaves” or stumbles against it. I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.
Good luck with it. I do hope you’ll send us a photo when it’s done.
On making a tree for the Children’s room in a public library: An evolving project. Two years ago, a co-worker and I made a tree trunk (5 ‘ tall) that kids could duck into for the summer reading game project. For structural support we used two wardrobe boxes purchased from U-haul. We stood them up vertically, cut open one long, corner fold, and then created a hexagon by overlapping two of the sides. We had to “stitch” these sides together with wire (holes poked with a screw driver) as no tape would hold. Since we knew this tree would get lots of wear and tear, we positioned the overlapped sections at the front and back. The bottom flaps (which would ordinarily form the base of the box) were folded outwards to form the roots, or base, of the tree. Next, we cut a doorway in the front section and utilized the box top flap design to create interesting, long, slit-like openings. Creatively applied chicken wire (also stiched on with wire) made branch-like bulges. We then strip paper-mached the whole thing, allowing the paper to bunch and gather randomly like bark. Finally we painted it with tempera paints. Kids loved it…to death. We are almost done with the repair, having covered the whole thing with another layer of strip mache before we found the recipe for paper mache clay. Our goal: durability (no peeling!) and stability. We then covered the whole thing with the clay (we used scott toilet paper and it worked fine). Our clay was lumpy and the resulting surface was perfectly like tree bark. We sanded the very-pointy-sharp-and-possibly-hazardous-to-little-fingers bits off. The result is gorgeous and sturdy as a rock. We are using paint rollers designed for very rough surfaces to apply the base paint color. Other colors, to mimic real bark, will be applied with some kind of brushes as the disposable foam variety get totally destroyed in a matter of minutes. The kids have been clammoring to have their tree back and we hope this lasts a while.
Your tree sounds wonderful. Is there a photo of it anywhere, so we could see how it looks?
I noticed the questions about the expanding foam and this is what i have found. I have made somethings like a tree trunk, using the foam. I used chicken wire and stuffed it with paper then went in each hole with a little squirt of the foam, it really looks good using it for something like bark or a rough look. It also hardens so that it is also good to add support. It is not cheap and it would take a lot to fill the entire inside of something large. It will not work for anything you would want to look smooth. It is perfect for adding like a vine look to trees instead of twine. It is great for the roots of a tree. It also adds support there. I also use it to add support where I am joining two pieces of chicken wire together.
Ok. Im new here and also new to paper mache. I’ve just started doing a few projects the past two weeks and I love it. Instead of starting with something simple and small, I’ve got to do something complicated and big. So my first project was a life size tree. The first one caved and other problems happened. So the first tree trunk is inside my new tree for support. I will make another post on how I made it. I did use expanding foam and can tell you about it. I am trying now to make a huge butterfly. If you have any tips on how to form the wings please let me know. Im doing a fall/halloween theme in front of my home. Whimsical like.
Hi Tara. We can’t wait to see how your tree comes out.
As for the butterfly, you’re in luck. Follow the instructions on the paper mache butterfly page, but since you’re making really big butterflies you’ll also want to run a piece of wire around the edge of the wings for extra support.
Enjoy!
I am fixing to start making a 6-7 foot tree for my little boys bedroom. Any help on what supplies I need? I’ve heard chicken wire, newspaper and paper mache recipe…Is this correct? Also, have any of you put leaves on your tree? If so, how did you go about doing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have a really cute dream about his room and i’m hoping I can achieve it! Thanks!
I think chicken wire formed into the right shape and covered with masking tape would make a good armature for a tree. You want to make sure it’s attached firmly to the wall in case somebody tries to climb it. I don’t know if anyone adds leaves, but you could make some great leaves with light cardboard and paper mache clay — like the butterfly wings in a previous post.
A group of 3 of us are making a giant piggy bank as we are on our parade commity at work. Thusfar, we’ve used a 54 inch beachball for the body of the pig, and have been applying layers of paper mache, using newspaper strips and elmers paper mache art glue. We thought all was going well, until our Minnesota humidity came blasting into full force over the weekend with 90+ degree temperatures. The ball expanded to the point of cracking the paper mache all the way down one side. We let some of the air out of the ball to take pressure off, and have now patched the cracked area with some duct tape. During this humid time, the ball actually felt as wet as it does when we first put a fresh coat of paper mache on. Our concern is durability because we want this project to last us a couple of years and storing it in high heat/humidity as well as below zero temperatures in the winter months in an unheated shed. I wish we had seen this site earlier. What do you think we can do to preserve this project as it is at the present time? We need to have this project completed in like 3 weeks now, including a paint job and a weather protecting finish.
Hi Brenda. I think the first step is to get the paper mache dry, and fast. Do you know anyone who has an unused greenhouse or south-facing porch with windows? If you can get your piggy into a warm place, and then turn on a fan so air is moving, the paste should dry out. When it’s dry enough for the paper mache to stand on it’s own you can remove the beachball, which seems to be causing some of your problems. You’ll need to cut a hole in the paper mache, let the air out of the ball, and pull it out through the hole – then repair the paper mache.
Then, once you no longer have to think about what the ball is doing in response to the air temperature, and your piggy is dry, you can seal it so the humidity won’t re-dampen the paper mache. You can use several coats of water-based polyurethane, or even a waterproof marine varnish. You’ll find these products at the hardware or paint store.
Our weather here in Oregon this spring has been unfriendly to paper mache projects, too. When nature won’t cooperate, I get out my fan and blow air over my sculptures so they dry fast. When you store the sculpture, make sure you have plenty of air movement in the storage room, so you won’t have to worry about mold. Cold won’t hurt the paper mache, but the humidity is worrisome.
Good luck – and please let us see your project when it’s done.
AHAHAHAHA i love that word piggy. It’s cute. ANYWAYS, acually anyways isn’t even a word. ANYWAY thanks so much for thoses tips. You helped me.
I normally never post on anothers blog, but I just can’t help myself!
(I love your site!)
On the tree:
I use fencing wire, it is much cheaper than crafting aluminum wire, and just as flexible. A tad bit dirty, but worth it! Aluminum craft wire (16gauge) costs about $7USD for 200 ft. Fencing wire costs under $5USD for over 300 ft! (At a Home Depot) I use this with masking tape to make my skeleton, the more wire, the more sturdy it is. If I can pull a wire out, I did not use enough tape! I also make sure every crossing wire is secured. Also, if it is a very large tree, and is to be in a classroom, I would use fishing lure and attatch it to the ceiling (from multiple branches) while putting cement or gypsum (plaster of paris) in the base of the tree. I have made 3 very large trees, and trust me, this definately takes some time! For the bark, I use only paper grocery bags. It gives a lovely bark texture, especially if you make the strips wider than you averagely would, like 3 or 4 inches.
Canvas:
For a project in school (years and years ago!) we made 3D art of dreams, I made mine on canvas, with store bought paper mache pulp. (A 3/4 head of a person) I used a hard canvas, and it worked like a dream! I loved it so much, I made more of these projects, and it worked better than I thought on stretched canvas. Yes, it did sag slightly, the heavier I made it, and forget about the canvas I stretched myself! My advice on expierence is to make sure the canvas is pretreated and not raw. Its fine if it is raw, but paper mache will not stick, and you want to take a tiny bit more time to glue it once its dry!
Thank you Kay! What great suggestions. I have just one question – when you say fencing wire, do you mean the single strand kind or the chicken wire kind? I don’t suppose you happen to have a photo of one of your trees, while the armature is being made and after the paper mache has been attached? (OK, that was two questions…)
Thank you! When I say fencing wire, I do mean singular stranded. The craft wire is a bit easier to use if you want to make the structure very secure by sautering it (my husband insists I do this) but I prefer to spend a little more time than money. I usually use 16 gauge, but for a large structure (like a 7ft tree) I use 8-10 gauge wire.
Sadly, I do not have any photos of those particular projects, but I’m pretty sure I can snap a few of my current project, a life size deer. I always use the same techniques for my projects, but I do believe I am going to veer from tradition and try your paper mache clay and see the difference from just regular pulp.
(As soon as I can find my camera in my super messy studio I will upload a picture)
Great – I have some 16 gauge wire – it rusts and gets all over your hands, but that’s no big deal. I bought a fairly large roll at the feed and seed store, and it was cheap.
My dad also gave me a box of wire ties and a tool that twists them really tight. He uses them in his concrete work, and I’m wondering if you could use them to hold your wire armatures together firmly – to keep your hubby happy…
I can’t wait to see your photos!
i used the expandable foam on my skeleton project to make joints. that was before i discovered the “clay”. i would do that again and this time use the clay to cover those joints with it and make it more even. i gotta find my external storage so i can get those finished pictures up.
another good thing is that if you can get a secure fit to something with the foam you can trim it up to shape it. but wear gloves when using this stuff it sticks and all the “remedies” on the back of the can really don’t work. learned that one the hard way. have fun and take care.
Hi Addie. I do hope you find those photos, because we’d love to see them. And good point about using gloves. One reason I’ve put off using foam in my projects is an incident about 10 years ago when I ruined a brand new jacket with foam. I didn’t know that once it cures, there is no chemical known to man that will remove it from clothing. I bought a can of it yesterday, though, and I’m going to try it out on the inside of my new chimp.
expanding foam is great but hard to controle i usaly use it with insulation board you know the foam board that they put up in houses it comes in 4′x 8′ x2 ” to build realy big armitures cut the board to block out the shape and use the expanding foam as glue and corner fill. you will need to employ a card file they are the wire brushes used to clean out files with that you can shape the foam ( be prepared this is really messy) you can sculpt a really deatailed armiture this way and skin it with papermache . on the skinning i like to spray adhesive on the foam and put a layer of cheese cloth so the paper and glue has somthing to stick to.
I think an alternative to Paverpol would be fine mesh wire with a thin layer of plastic tape over it. You can twist your mesh into shapes that imitate draped clothing. By the way your bear is so cute – Jonni.
Correction – so sorry – I meant plaster tape but plastic might work too.
I have actually used liquid starch to build a cannon for RVMS and it works great!
I have never made anything large like a tree, but I would image that you could make an armature out of chicken wire and attach it to a wooden base. You could stuff it with something like plastic garbage bags for substance. There is a product on the market called Paverpol. It is a liquid into which you can immerse fabric, and I think even paper. You can then drape with your saturated material. If you google Paverpol, their site should show up, and I believe they have a lot of instructions, and some projects. This is a European product which is now sold in the US. Again, I think you can get it through some online stores. According to the manufacturer, it is rock hard when dry.
As far as papier mache on canvas, I haven’t done that, but I have used Creative Paperclay and it worked just fine. Use a good adhesive – the class I took used bookbinder’s glue, but I think you can just use any good glue, even Elmer’s. Watch out for the weight of what you are adding, because that could warp your canvas perhaps.
Good luck everyone!
Interesting. I checked online and found the Paverpol site. It looks like it would be a bit expensive, compared with paper mache, but it would be fun to play with, if it isn’t a resin that has fumes.
And good point about the weight, and how it might affect the canvas. I hadn’t thought of that. Even if it looked tightly stretched at the beginning, if the added paper mache pulp was too heavy it could weight down the canvas over time. My sister-in-law, an artist who also teaches art in grade school, has experimented with texturing canvases with spackle, which you buy at the hardware store. She had great luck with it, but she wasn’t trying to form a face or anything detailed.
I was browsing your website and saw this discussion thread. I am the Canadian distributor of Powertex products. Essentially Powertex (and our competitor Paverpol) are polymer based adhesives that allow you to use natural fibers (cotton, wool, wood, etc) in a sculptural manner. Most of my sculpture is created by dipping cloth in Powertex and wrapping it over the armature. The finished product is safe to leave outdoors year round, once it has cured indoors for about two weeks. I live in Northern Ontario and can attest to Powertex’s durability in extreme cold weather, major snow and humidity. It is a great way to create garden art. If I can be of any assistance answering your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards
Brigette Thompson
Thanks, Brigette. It looks like one could make a paper mache sculpture as one normally does, then use strips of sheeting – like Dan Reeder does with his monsters – but use the Powertex instead of glue. It also looks like it would work best with unpainted sculptures, since the paint would need to go over the Powertex, and the color would not have the weatherproof protection. I’ll send an email to Brigette to see if I understand this correctly – I do see some interesting possibilities with this product.
The foam idea is intriguing … but wouldn’t you get the same effect by just building up an armature of non-absorbent materials … like plastic bottles, tin cans, plastic bags, & tin foil? You could even start with a basic styrofoam or rigid foam armature if you wanted it to be more solid / not hollow. These would still be relatively cheap if you could find discarded packing materials and construction materials.
I’ve also experimented with removing the armature entirely and just leaving the hollow paper clay layer. Smallish sculptures might hold up without anything added inside at all. Especially if you could seal it inside as well as out — then you’d have double protection.
I’ve also been wondering about adding some kind of acrylic polymer to the clay mix …? Dperry428 on You Tube that has a video series on how to make faux rocks out of concrete with a styrofoam filler. He makes this for his pond in his back yard, so he waterproof’s them … and for that he uses an acrylic polymer in his concrete mix (he uses J-40 from Dayton Superior) … which increases adhesion and adds some waterproofing. It’s obviously formulated for concrete but I’ve been wondering it, or something similar, exists for wood / paper. Or would using Tightbond II, instead of white glue, yield basically the same result?
Interesting questions. Maybe for outside sculptures, the paper mache could be left out entirely, and one could just use the waterproofed concrete instead. I did make one yard sculpture that way, several years ago, but I didn’t like using a material that gets hard before I’m finished messing with it – so I didn’t really like the way my bear came out. It would be interesting to give it another try, though.
The commercial paper mache mix works just fine on a canvas as long as you don’t go to thick. Once it is dry, you can paint right over it. If you are using a very large canvas and are covering a large area, you may want to use the cheap, kraft brown paper towel and watered-down glue instead for texture since it is lighter. Tissue paper works well with the watered-down glue since it it light. The glue resists any flex the canvas might have. Hope that helps!
Denise, have no fear: It does work. I had a Sculpture teacher at the local College who uses this method. However, finding liquid starch in stores is very hard these days where I live (California). As most stores now sell it in a small spray can. Best bet is Smart and Final, which still sells it in large plastic bottles.
Liquid starch paper mache becomes pretty solid by adding more paper layers to it. So with three layers, it’s fine. More than that makes it rock hard and so on.
You can get more detailed by adding paper clay once it’s dry.
But, like anything else, you have to use gesso (white paint) and/or sealer on it.
Also, you can extend liquid starch with water. But be careful with that. By extending it with too much water, the starch doesn’t bond as much. I try to do half and half, 1/4, or 1/3 cup or water to the ratio of starch already in a bucket. Or follow the instructions on the bottle label on how much water to add.
Also put the starch back in the bottle and in a extra empty bottle due to a water mix: Starch will dry out in the open if exposed to time and sunlight. Not good if you want to use it again. Don’t worry about it getting on the porch, once dry, it flakes off or can be peeled off.
Personally, I prefer it over wall paste (Yuck) and the flour/water mix.
Hope that helps.