Paper Mache Recipes
Paper Mache Clay
Update: 1/5/10: I have been messing around with paper mache for over 50 years and up until a few months ago I always came back to the easiest paper mache recipes, using plain old white flour and water paste with torn strips of newspaper.
Now, however, I have abandoned the traditional layered paper process and use my new paper mache clay recipe for all my sculptures. Although most of the tutorials on this site were made before I came up with the clay recipe, any of the patterns and instructions can be easily converted for use with the clay. Just use a thin layer of paper mache clay in place of the layers of paper and paste.
Since most people are not yet familiar with the new clay recipe, I’ll leave the flour paste recipe below. However, I encourage you to give the new clay a try. It isn’t for young children, because it isn’t edible. However, for artists who no longer eat their art materials, it’s a great way to create life-like sculptures with less mess, and less frustration. You can find the new clay recipe here. If you’d like to see what your sculpture may look like after the clay has hardened and the paint has been applied, check out the big cats (bobcat, lion cubs and snow leopard) on my gallery page.
Paper Mache Paste Recipe:
Paper Mache Recipe #1
White flour and water make a remarkably strong paste. In fact, some folks think paper mache is strong enough to build houses with. Your finished sculptures might not be strong enough to hold up a house, but you can sand them and drill them, just like wood.
Boiled Flour and Water Paste:
Many people use a paste that is made of white flour and water that has been brought to a boil. I did some experimenting and found that this paste is not as strong as raw paste, so you’ll need more layers of paper to make your finished sculpture stiff enough. However, it does dry clear, so many people prefer it. To make boiled paste, mix a heaping tablespoon of white flour with a cup of water in a small saucepan and stir until there are no lumps. Put the pan on the stove at medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. The paste will be very runny at this stage, but it will gell as it cools.
Raw Flour and Water Paste:
This is the paste I almost always use, because it’s stronger than boiled paste and you can complete a project with only a few layers of paper. To make up the paste, just pour some white flour in a bowl, and add water gradually until you have a consistency that will work well. (Use a small kitchen mixer so you don’t have any lumps).
How thick should you make your paste? It’s actually up to you. Experiment with thick pastes that resemble hotcake batter, and thin pastes that are runny and watery. You get to decide which ones you prefer.
Keep in mind that it is the flour, and not the water, that gives strength to your paper mache sculpture. And also remember that each layer of paste and paper that is added to your project must dry completely to keep it from developing mold.
Speaking of mold, why not use wallpaper pastes that contain fungicides? There are two reasons why I choose to use white flour pastes, instead of ingredients that prevent mold. First, white flour is ridiculously cheap when compared to any other type of art supply. And second, I hate the idea of dipping my hands in something that contains poison. If small children were helping me with my projects, this would be even more important.
To prevent the development of mold in your projects, you just need to remember that molds cannot grow without water. Therefore, take every effort to dry out your projects completely. I usually put my small sculptures in a warm oven (not over 200 F) or place them near a radiator. Next summer I intend to build a solar dryer that will be large enough for bigger items. The main trick is to make sure the sculpture is dry all the way through – if any dampness is left inside when you apply paint or other finish, the sculpture will eventually rot from the inside out – a truly disappointing development, I assure you.
Paper Mache Recipe #2
Paper Mache Recipe #2:
I like to add a ‘skin’ to most of my paper mache projects. To do this, I sand the sculpture after it is completely dry (paper mache can be sanded, sawn and drilled – just like wood). I then mix some carpenter’s glue into my flour and water paste. I sometimes add coloring, as you can see in the photo above. You can use powdered pigments (for the orangutan mask I used powered coloring used for concrete, which is available at a hardware store). You could also add acrylic paints to this paste recipe.
The carpenter’s glue adds a warm color to the paste and prevents it from cracking when it dries. If you add several layers of this paste to the outside of your projects and sand between coats, you can create a completely smooth surface that is perfect for painting or finishing. I leave this last layer off when I want the underlying paper to show through on the finished item, like the paper mache piggy bank.
Papers to Use for Paper Mache:
The traditional paper to use for paper mache is newspaper, which is torn into short strips. (Cut edges should be avoided, because they don’t blend in.) Newspaper is cheap, and it is a soft paper that is easy to bend and mold around a sculpture.
However, you can also use brown kraft paper from paper bags, which will give your sculpture a naturally warm color if the piece is left unpainted.
You can also use softer papers, like paper towels and even tissue paper. The softer papers are used to fashion delicate details, and textured paper towels can be used to add an interesting final coat. The paper mache dragon on this site used the bumpiness of paper towels to represent the dragon’s leathery skin.
Finishing Your Paper Mache Sculpture:
You can use any type of paint on your sculpture. I usually use acrylic craft paints, and a final glaze made from water-based verathane mixed with a bit of brown, or copper paint from the craft store. This final coat is put on with a brush and then immediately rubbed off with a paper towel, leaving the darker color in the dips and valleys of the sculpture. I happen to like the effect, but it is certainly not required.
Another way to make the paste:
If you don’t want to mess with flour and water, and you don’t mind spending the money for some Elmer’s glue, I found this video for a glue-based paper mache paste that you might want to use instead.
- My favorite online bookstore.
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Really appreciate your info! Can you tell me what I can apply to the inside of a papier mache bust that I made to give it more weight?
Thanks so much.
Valerie
Hi Valerie. I like to use plaster of paris to weight sculptures, if needed. If your bust has a flat bottom, you can turn it upside down and remove some of the material you used as the inner form. Then place a plastic bag in the hole you make and fill it with some plaster of paris. Close the bag over the plaster and make sure the bottom is still flat. Allow it to set up, and then close your sculpture’s bottom with a final layer of paper mache.
You do need to isolate the plaster with plastic to prevent the water in the plaster from migrating out into the paper mache.
I hope this helps.
hi, thanks so much for the info. I’m wondering if you can use a hair dryer (blow dryer) to help dry your paper mache project if you are not able to put it in the oven.
Sure, you could do that–but it will take a while to get dry all the way through.
Hello,I really liked your video. I had so many different recipes for paste,but you have given me a clear picture of what the options are and why. I want to do bowls and African symbols for wall hangings. thanks
Thank you for your paper mache information. I have made quite a few items out of paper mache and I am now in the process of making a large tree so I decided to do a search on which paper mache glue recipe is the strongest and this is how I have bumped into you.
I wanted to add, that some people recommend putting salt in your paste mix to prevent it from molding. Don’t know how true this is but I have done this and no mold so far. Also, some recipes recommend sugar. I wonder if this will make the glue any stronger?
Hi Sarah. Interesting questions.
I’ve never used salt in my paste recipe, but I live on the edge of a desert–that may give you a clue that mold is not my primary concern. Mold does not like salt, probably because it dries out their little bodies, so it should be a good addition to a paper mache paste recipe.
About the sugar, however–I’m no chemist, but I do make bread occasionally. So I know that yeast (a fungus) loves sugar. I would steer clear of that idea.
And the best way to prevent mold is to make sure you dry your projects as fast as possible, and then seal them with a good quality varnish to keep moisture from getting back in.
Hope this helps.
Hi Jonni, it’s me again, after looking through all the rest of your site. Really fantastic, and thank you for sharing all your techniques. the posts on the horse were particularly fascinating for me as this is the sort of thing I want to do. On Elmer’s Glue-all – I’m sorry to have bothered you asking this.Only after I’d sent the email did I think to look on Google, and sure enough, there it is. Still don’t know if the actual product is available in the UK and France, but I have enough info to go looking now.. (well, when the snow melts, that is – I’ve been snowed in for three days so far!) Actually it’s great – no tv, so I have been creative.
Thanks again, and – a bit belatedly, Happy New Year!
Mags
Hello there!
First, I must say how truly gifted you are. These sculptures are AMAZING! I am not doing anything that intricate. I have made 3 large dinosaur egg pinatas for my daughters 7th birthday party. There will be about 39 kids in attendance. I made this by covering plastic trash bags (filled with more plastic bags) with paper mache (using the flour/water/salt/cinnamon recipe). I have done 2 layers of paper mache and it’s SLOWLY drying. I plan to spray paint them, then go back and add details with a paint brush – like adding a crack and a claw sticking out, etc. My goal is to give each kid a good whack at the pinata – so each pinata should be able to withhold about 13 whacks before cracking open. What can I do to strengthen them more? I have run out of time to do a 3rd coat as it seems to take longer and longer to dry. Thank you for any insight you can provide to me – It’s much appreciated!
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne. I’ve never made a sculpture that is supposed to break, so I can’t offer much help. I’ll copy your question as a regular post, and see if any of my readers can help.
Check for answers to your question on the new pinata post, here.
Discovered your site a few days ago & I am sooo intrigued by this recipe. I have been wanting to make some paper mache *heads on a stick* but have been initimidated by the process. Seeing your simplified method gives me courage to try one….today! Let you know how it goes….thanks for being so generous w/ your knowledge & talent!
Heads on a stick? You have to let us see them when they’re done!
Thank you so much… this was exactly what I was looking for. I have a craft fair coming up and wanted to make a paper mache head to display one of the hats that I make. I was afraid it was going to cost me an arm and a leg for the materials to make it!
Hi Jenifer. I checked out the hats you make over on your Etsy site, and they’re very nice. I hope you share a photo of your hat on top of your new paper mache head display. That’s a really good idea – light enough to cart around, and inexpensive so you won’t have to worry too much about dings while packing up at the show. Good luck at the fair!
How do I dry my artwork? Can I put it in the oven and at what temp…how long? Thanks for the tips.
Yes, you can put small paper mache sculptures in the oven to dry, but keep the temperature under 200. Also keep checking the sculpture, because some shapes will warp. If you don’t catch it in time, it could ruin your work.
This applies only to sculptures made entirely with paper and flour paste. Sculptures made with glue, like Elmers Glue-All, should be dried over a heating vent or out in the sun, instead of in the oven. The baking glue will release plastic into the air, and you probably don’t want to breath plastic, or smell it, either. If you must dry a sculpture made with the paper mache clay recipe on this blog in the oven, keep the temp under 150F.
I find that sculptures actually dry faster when you place them over a heating vent that has warm, forced air. You can also use a fan, with no extra heat. The moving air seems to dry the pieces more quickly than the warm, still air in an oven.
Hope this helps…
It does, thank you so much! We are making a Mardi Gras float.
Jonni – You are like the Paper Mache Encyclopedia! Thank you so much for the tips – I’m going to try your recipes instead of using the pre-made mix I’ve been buying. Cheap is always good! Thank you so much. xx
Thank you for the information you have generously shared. I will be trying out paper mache and find that you having experimented with various types of paper mache that will save me the trouble of trying out will save me a lot of time.
Your information is wonderful, thanks! My Gr.3/4 class is making a teacher-sized inukshuk for the winter Olympics in February. We are using cardboard boxes as the base. We’ll cover it with paper mache and use paper towels as a final layer to provide texture. Our art teacher (not me!) suggested sponge painting it to add to the textured appearance. The kids can’t wait to get started! Your raw recipe’s instructions are just what I needed! I am going to try adding salt as an extra measure to fight mold.
how long will it take
I’m not sure what you’re asking. Could you clarify, please?
For a large sculpture – say 4-5 feet in length and 2-3 ft wide, would you use some sort of framework? If so what would you build the frame with to keep it light weight? I thought of cardboard and possibly some light weight fiberglass screening. Any thoughts?
Rob
Hi Rob. There are several ways you could go. For the Baby Elephant sculpture, I used particleboard, which is very heavy. I’m now convinced that gluing up two or three layers of corrugated cardboard would have been just as strong, and much lighter.
You could also use Dan Reeder’s wire armature method, which would also be lighter than my particleboard armature, and probably just as strong. (You can use that method for things other than monsters, by the way. I used his wire armature technique when I built the insides of my bobcat and all my other big cats).
And the third method, which I haven’t tried but which obviously works, is shown in the new Papier Mache Design book by Monique Roberts.
I don’t know what you’re using the screening for. I use the expanded aluminum stuff that’s sold in hardware stores for keeping leaves out of gutters when I need to make ears or strong tails with the paper mache clay. The clay keys into it really well, and the result is light and strong.
I hope this helps. Let us see your project when it’s done!
Thanks so much for all of your information. I have a couple of questions that I’m hoping you have time to answer. I usually used art paste for my Papier Mache which is a clear gel-like glue, but after visting your site I decided to use the traditional flour and water paste. It was great, except for the cracking that occurred. Is there a way to prevent the cracks from happening, and an easy solution for fixing them? Also, I wanted to try making the “skin” for the last layer, but wasn’t sure how much glue to add or how to apply it. Do you brush it on? Thanks so much for your help.
Hi Courtney. You’re right–flour and water paste will crack if you put it on the outside of your sculpture. You can reduce or eliminate the cracking by adding white glue, but you will need to experiment to see how much is needed.
I no longer use the “skin” formula that is on this page–I keep experimenting with different recipes to make the process easier, and I’ve found that I prefer a home-made gesso, which can be colored with acrylic paint or powdered pigments. To make the gesso mix up one tablespoon joint compound (called joint filler in the UK) with one teaspoon white glue and a dab of white acrylic paint. This gesso will smooth out the surface of your sculpture, and I have never seen it crack. It becomes quite hard when dry, but should be protected with acrylic paint or a final varnish.
When I used the paste mixed with glue for skin, I brushed it on and then smoothed it out with my fingers. It would depend on what texture you want. More glue will make it thinner and stronger, without the cracks – experiment with different amounts until you get the look you want.
Hi there,
I just stumbled upon your website, and I was glad to find so much information on paper mache. My 10 year old just informed me (last minute of course) he has to make a paper mache sculpture of a human heart. The best part is that it’s due on Tuesday. After thinking about this little task for a few seconds I realized all the detail this must require.I have no clue as to how to begin. Do you have any suggestions or advice? Thank you
Hi Vanessa,
Your son can make an inner form, using crumpled newspapers and masking tape, to create the basic shapes. Rolls of paper might come out at the right places for veins and arteries, while the heart itself could be made from one or two balls of crumpled paper, squashed into the correct shape. Then he would just cover the form with paper strips and paste, three layers should probably be enough. It would be even easier to use the new paper mache clay recipe – there’s a link to the recipe at the top of this page. He can be making the paper and masking tape form while you run to the hardware store for the ingredients. The clay should be added in a very thin layer, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, and smoothed with the flat side of a knife. Do one side, sit the heart on top of a radiator or furnace register to let it harden, then turn it over and cover the other side. When it’s dry it can be painted.
If he uses the paper strips and paste instead, it can be dried in the oven at about 250F.
I wish him luck. With this kind of deadline, he’s going to need it.
Great tutorial! I have a question. Is it necessary to use these pastes with paper, or can other materials be substituted? I am working on a costume for a condom fashion show, and I would love to make a latex top hat, fashioned in this style. Is it possible?
Thanks!!
Hi Paige. I don’t know of any transparent material that you could use to create something that looked like latex, other than latex itself. I would suggest that you check out the tutorials at http://www.smooth-on.com/ and make your hat using one of their latex products. I’ve used the Smooth-on latex rubber material for making molds (for cat faces, not condoms…) and the material is actually quite easy to work with.
Have fun.
Thanks for the reply, Jonni!
I actually have a load of latex, in the form of multi-colored condoms, and I was more curious if I could use the paste recipes on them, by substituting strips of condoms for strips of paper?
Oh, I get it. Sort of like a condom flower thingy? The answer then, is “no.” The flour and water will not stick to latex. I’m not sure if anything will stick to latex. Maybe you could try one of the inexpensive hot glue guns – that might work.
I have a den of Cub Scouts (4th grade) and will be doing papier mache over a simple balloon today — they’ll love getting messy! Wondering if, after some painting — can we cut out small holes and hang for use as a birdhouse? Wondering if they’d like to live in there … seems like it would make a nice cozy home! Many thanks and love your site!
Hi Karen. I’ve wondered about that myself – the only concern I have is that the paper mache will tend to collect dampness from the birds inside the birdhouse, and will get rained on the outside. If you completely seal the paper mache both inside and out with marine varnish, it might hold up. It would be a shame to have a bird family living inside and then have dampness weaken the walls so much the house breaks apart.
Good luck with your projects.
your site is great! im thinking about starting a project and untill now all the information i needed was on 10 different sites! anyway I have used paper mache a few times when I was a kid but not in years, I am thinking of adding a floor to celing tree in my babys nursery (jungle theme) and was wondering if that was somthing you think would be reasonable for someone with not much experience? and if so do you think I should use the paper or the clay? Thanks for every thing!
do you know how to make a mummy
You could use any of the tutorials on this site and just change the shape. Then wrap him up with strips of cotton, which you could make “old” looking by soaking in diluted coffee. But I’ve never made a mummy, myself. Let us know how your project turns out.
can you dry it with a blow dryer
Yes, but you’d have to be really patient. I’d recommend putting your work over a furnace grate, near a radiator, or in front of a fan.
Hi-
Thanks for your information! I was wondering if you had any advice on what to put on top of a paper mache piece to make it water proof? I am doing a 4-month outdoor sculpture piece where I am hanging 5-ft whales from trees and I’ve been told tons of things, but no one straight answer. Im thinking a resin? any advice?
Hi Virginia. I thought about putting my baby elephant out in my yard, so I did some searching for a waterproofing finish. In then end, I chickened out – not because of the rain, but because of the male dog in my yard… ‘Nuff said…
Anyway, I did put up this post about waterproofing paper mache, pointing people to the information I found that seemed most reliable.
Why didn’t I think of brown bags before?! Thanks for this huge mind lift! Cheers, Julie
Jonni,
Thanks so much for the information. I have a paper mache challenge that I would like your input on. I’m working on a public art installation at a local Rec Center using discarded sports balls. I’m trying to find a method to “glaze” tennis balls, to render them w/ a white wash that would neutralize most of their color, though not all. (Darned hard things to paint, tennis balls….). I’ve experimented w/ the wood glue-enhanced paper mache. Could you recommend other methods?
Thanks so much!
Christopher
Hmm – that’s a bit beyond my skill set, but have you tried dipping them in diluted white house paint? Anyone have some suggestions?
Jonni,
I am a highschool senior making paper mache sculptures for my advanced sculpture class, and only use glue and water papier mache formulas for the sculptures. I am interested in using the flour based solution because I have read about the strength. But I do have a question, I spoke with my teacher and we talked about the flour solution attractive roaches and other bugs because it is a food based mixture. Have you had problems with bugs and creepy crawlies finding their to your sculptures for a midnight snack? I am looking at the most practical ways to papier mache and the flour based one seemed the cheapest most efficient.
Spencer
Hi Spencer. I happen to live in a part of the country where roaches aren’t an issue, so I may not be the right person to ask. It is important to dry your sculptures very thoroughly, and to seal them. I use an acrylic varnish, and for larger pieces I sometimes use Verathane from the hardware store. The final sealing coat seems to protect the pieces from mold, which could be a real issue (mold loves white flour).
Paper mache dolls and other items from Victorian days are often sold on eBay, but I don’t know what type of paste they used, or if most of the items are made with pulp. This would be a great question for a science class.
I love your work – all of it – and your recipe – please let me know when your book will be available and where I can purchase same.
Thanks, Joanne. I’ll put you on my notification list.
Hi,
I love your sculptures, they are sooo beautiful!
Please could you help, I have been asked to help make props for my daughter forthcoming ballet show. Along with many items that I can easily make, I have been tasked with creating a tree stump or log that two 8 year olds can sit on!!
Do you think that if I made it using your technique, would it hold the weight of two children?????
Many thanks in advance,
Steph xx
Hi Steph. What a beautiful ballerina. I assume you’re related?
I’m afraid that the engineering of stage props goes beyond my expertise. One reader wrote in about a horse she’s building for a prop, and she’s putting a wooden sawhorse inside. Great idea. Another reader built a paper mache rock for a stage play, and I believe she’s building it around a wooden stool or something equally strong. Paper mache by itself will not hold anyone up. I do suggest that you pay careful attention to the “worse case scenario” while building your prop, just in case you decide to reinforce any part of it with wire. If the prop should break, you wouldn’t want a piece of wire to stab your little actors.
So, long story short, I would suggest that you team up with someone with experience building strong items, perhaps out of wood, or that you build your tree trunk over a pre-built object that will hold up your actors. Then go nuts with the paper mache, since that’s the fun part.
Thank-you sooo much for taking time to reply. I have now found an off-cut of an drainage pipe which IS strong enough to sit on. Now for the fun paper-mache part of covering and making it look more log like!!
My daughter will be sooo proud, just like I am of her.
Thanks again xxx
Hello. I am so happy and lucky to come across your website!
I am 17 years old, and i am a brilliant clay artist, but i have never worked with Paper Mache before. I have a project that i have been wanting to do for quite some time.It’s a project that will become a prop for me at a costumeConvention called Anime Expo. So i want to make a sea serpent by the name of Leviathan, but i want to make it so i can wrap him around a rod, and it can become a staff. i was considering clay, but then i realized that that will be too heavy. And my art teacher brought up the idea of Paper Mache. I thought that it wouldn’t work, but after i did some research and visited your website, i realized that it would work. 
So i was wondering how exactly i can make this work? Because he will be big, and i know he might hit something while i carry him around; i want to make sure that he is sturdy enough.
and if the flour mixture would be right? because he is going to be huge, and i don’t know if i really want to put him in the sun…?
thank you sooooooooooooo much!
~ Here is a picture of the Leviathan i will be doing.
Hello Danielle. Paper mache is very strong, especially when you apply it over a firm base made from crumpled paper and masking tape. Since your Leviathan is a perfect shape for that, you should have no worries about him (her?) breaking — unless you intend to whack people with him intentionally. (I know you’re not – just kidding).
Since you work with clay and you’re comfortable with that medium, you might also consider using the clay instead of paper strips and paste for at least the head, so you can model the eyes more easily. And you will need to use some strong wire inside those wings, since that’s the part that will be easiest to break. I suggest that you have you serpent hold his wings closer to his body, so the possibility of stabbing someone is reduced. This will also help protect them from damage. Be sure to watch my recent video about making an armature for a dragon to see how I made the wings.
Good luck. Be sure to let us see how your Leviathan turns out.
Thank you so much Jonni! i will be sure to let you see how Leviathan turns out!
I have one more question:
since he is going to be kind of long, should i make the armature out of aluminum foil, or newspaper?
- This guys used newspaper, instead of foil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLdBmXOtLNw&feature=related
I only use the aluminum foil for smaller places, like the face, where it’s easier than wadding up newspaper. However, the paper works just as well–it just takes slightly more time. Dan makes really big monsters, so he doesn’t need to use foil inside his armatures.
I assume that you’re going to build your Leviathan around something, like a pole? When you asked if the paper mache would be strong enough, that’s how I imagined it. Kind of like the caduceus symbol used for the medical profession. If not, you might need to use wire inside the armature, the way Dan makes his monsters.
Thank you Jonni once again!
yes, i am going to build him around a pole, so it should be fine.
thank you so much.
I can’t wait to show you what he looks like in the end!
Hi, I was looking through your website, looking for ideas to make folklorico dancers. This is the first time I will be using paper mache. Do you have any suggestions. I need it done by the middle of May.
Hi Tina. I thought I answered your question this morning, but I think I forgot to poke the submit button. Sorry.
This sounds like something a teacher would assign. Am I right? Here’s how I think I would do it:
I’d find a photo of a dancer, taken from the side. I’d use the photo as a model and create two-dimensional patterns of the legs, arms, and torso, including neck and head. I’d make the patterns out of cardboard, in the size needed for the dancer. Then I’d pad the patterns with crumpled paper to make them round, like a real person. Use a ton of masking tape.
Once you have all the pieces padded, tape them together with lots of tape. You might need to use some heavy wire to keep the arms balanced the way you want them. Don’t start adding paper mache until your armature is able to stand up by itself.
Then use paper strips and paste or the new paper mache clay recipe, and cover your dancer. The clay would be much easier on the face. Once your dancer is dry, give her a coat of paint (acrylics work well) and then find some clothes that look like they belong.
That’s a short version for a very advanced project. It probably wouldn’t be the kind of project I’d suggest for someone who’d never done this sort of thing before, but it should be a very interesting challenge. I hope you’ll let us see your dancer when she’s done.
Greetings….. I wanted to know what i could use as a base to make face features in a paper mache mask? I made a nose useing a ball of newspaper and paper mache’d over it, but i found it a bit hard as the nose came out quite odd.
Jonni, I just want to thank you for all the wonderful information you offer to us. I think you are a very, very generous and special person to share your time and knowledge with us. THANK YOU, your site is wonderful, I do appreciate it
, many hugs to you.
Hi,
For my son’s preschool’s 35th Birthday picnic, I want to have the students make a large birthday cake with paper mache. Any suggestions on how I would do the base? What should I use for the base?
It would be nice to do a layered cake–square or round, doesn’t matter.
Thanks,
Eileen
I would probably cut two pieces of cardboard in the shape you want your cake – two round pieces for a round cake, or two square pieces for a square cake. Then cut a long piece of cardboard for the sides, and tape the pieces together to make a hollow box. Then the kids could put paper mache over the cardboard, let it dry, paint it, and stick on candles.
Have fun at the party.
Hello Jonni,
You seem very talented and knowledgeable in mache art; I would love to create a paper mache mobile for my daughter. I was thinking, though, of a tree sculpture, the base resting free on the ground, and the mobile pieces coming off of extending branches (this would have to fit against a wall, probably). My question is: do you have any suggestions for making the sculpture sturdy and balanced enough for this project?
Also, have you ever made a successful ‘gnarly’ skin, like tree bark for instance?
Thanks!
Alice
Hi Alice. I’ll answer the easy question first – if you use the paper mache clay recipe you can easily make bark texture just by pressing some real bark into the clay. You’d want to dampen the bark so it doesn’t stick to the clay.
Making something strong enough depends on whether or not somebody might be tempted to try climbing on it. It would require some heavy wire, some strong attachments at the top and bottom so it doesn’t pull off the wall, etc. I don’t think I’m qualified to design something like that, although I’m sure it can be done.
Hi Jonni,
I noticed you reply to your inquires and was hoping you had time to help me. I’m a student at Syracuse University and we received a project to build a float for a parade due May 10th. For the float we are making a giant shoe (4 feet x 7 feet). We need to keep it as light as possible but will sacrifice weight for strength. I have been reading a lot about paper mache and am curious if you have a specific recipe in mind. We were thinking about using chicken wire for support but after reading through your sight do you have other recommendations?
Thank you so much for your help!
Cat
p.s. I can’t wait to use your paper mache clay recipe for other projects
Hi Cat. For something that large, the chicken wire will probably work just fine. Chicken wire tends to leave bumpy parts sticking out, because it’s hard to get the wire to form a smooth surface. However, if you spend plenty of time on it, you should be able to get it as smooth as you need it to be. If it does cause problems, you could tape several layers of newspaper over the wire (whole sheets, dry) and then put your paper strips and paste over that, both inside and out.
For something large and basically temporary, a paste made from flour and water should work just fine. It dries very hard, and it’s cheap. Also, tear really big paper strips, even as large as a whole page, so the project will go quickly. Dan Reeder uses his hands to smear the paste over the form, then smooths the very large strips of paper over that. It makes a strong sculpture very quickly. It sounds like you’d need a hazmat suit to keep from being covered with paste, but I’ve tried his method and it really isn’t as messy as it sounds.
Thank you so much for replying so quickly!
Since you recommend a great idea of doing large paper strips, should I worry about cracking or finishing it with a glue recipe?
Sincerely,
Cat
Hello and great site!! I have been a model maker and costume maker for over 25+ years. Now I am diving into aviation models for large scale action figure collectors. Finding a large scale helicopter is expensive because of the use of fiberglass. I was thinking along this method, but wanted your professional thoughts, can paper mache ( flour and strip paper mix) be used in a female plaster mold? I haven’t tried it but I am thinking that the plaster might soak up the water so I would seal the plaster with paint ( from what I have found works). maybe with a release agent added also- could this type of method work? I was looking into making multiple bodies in this form. Have you experience in female molds and mache? Mold came to mind also….. Thank you!!!
I have not used paper and paste in a plaster mold. However, I think that’s how many of the life-sized figures for Day of the Dead celebrations are made. This video on YouTube shows how one sculptor uses molds with paper mache. If you can figure out how to contact him, he’d be the one to ask for help. It obviously can be done, because he’s doing it.
What a great site!! It so awesome that you are sharing these great ideas. I’m in charge of decorations for my son’s 5th grade banquet. We’d like to make hot air balloons using paper mache for the balloon part and tissue boxes for the base (dual purpose on the tissues). There’s a latex allergy so this is our next option. What would be our best bet to make something sturdy but light enough to be held up by wire as well as quick to dry? I think we’re going to need 20+ and don’t have a lot of time. Thanks so much for you help.
If you want to make your round hot air balloons without using a latex balloon inside (I hope I understood your question correctly,) you could make big balls of crumpled paper and masking tape, cover them with three or four layers of paper mache, and when the paper mache is dry cut it in two pieces, remove the inside crumpled paper, and put the two halves back together with more strips of paper and paste.
If you need something that dries faster than flour and water paste, you can use white glue diluted with some water. Paint it on the balls (or balloons, if you’re using them) and then smooth the paper strips over the glue.
I hope that helps. If I didn’t answer your question in full, please let me know and we’ll give it another try.
Thank you, that will help a lot. I was trying to figure out how to make a few hotair balloons bigger than the stand. 12″ balloon size. The balled up paper & tape will be perfect!!
I think I’m going to try using the paste & paper for a few layers then trying some with paint mixed in to finish. I can use balloons for the “mold” as long as they don’t stay in. I was thinking popping it or waiting for it to deflate & fall out the bottom since it will be open at the bottom end.
My question now is how many layers would be enough without making it too heavy? and do you have a suggestion on what gauge wire would hold it up best? Thank you for all your help.
Hi Paula. Three or four layers of paper and paste should be plenty if the decorations aren’t handled. If you just need wire to hang them with, the wire used for hanging pictures would be plenty strong. Or you could use fishing line, which would be invisible. If you need wire that will hold the “balloon” up above the basket, you might need something quite stiff, like the kind clothes hangers used to be made out of. I just bought some wire the hardware store called “galvanized merchant wire,” which would work really well. I bought mine at a True Value store. The same wire might be called something different at other stores.
I just finished making a giant Xmas ornament. I made it with paper strips put over an exercise ball. When all of the layer were dry enough to hold the shape I deflated the ball and took it out, so I could use it again. Worked really well. When I figure out how to post a picture, I will.
We’d love to see it.
I hope you can help me figure out what I am doing wrong and thank you in advance. I am trying to make a simple paper mache egg. I am using a balloon and the flour water paste with colored tissue paper. I have now tried 4 times with different consistancy of paste but it keep cracking, not little cracks but large ones the length of the balloon. I will fill in those cracks on the next layer and it will crack somewhere else. I have even it hung it up to dry and that has not helped either. I need to use the tissue paper cuz I will be cutting a hole in it and putting an easter scene in it if i ever get it made. It should look like stained glass when it is done. I will shellac both inside and outside if i can ever accomplish just making the egg in one piece (without cracks)before the balloon starts deflating. I appreciate any help you can give me, because at the rate i am going i will not have it done by next easter. thans so much
Hi Lori. The problem may be caused by using the tissue paper, which has no strength, along with a balloon, which changes it’s size depending on the temperature and atmospheric pressure. You might try using white glue thinned with water in place of the paste. The tissue paper will disintegrate if you get it damp before applying it to the balloon, so you would need to paint a thin wash of glue on the balloon and then smooth the paper over it. The glue will dry quickly, so it should harden before the balloon changes shape. It should also make your tissue paper layers a little stronger, and since white glue dries clear, you should get more of that stained glass look you’re after.
However, I’ve never actually made anything with tissue paper, and I avoid using balloons, so I suggest that you test this theory on a small project first.
Good luck with it. If the process above doesn’t work, let me know so we can ask more readers for help.
Hi Jonni I have a question about other uses of paper mache paste. I am looking to assemble an art piece for class and want to use cloth as my medium. Is it possible to use paper mache paste and soak it into the cloth to make it stiff and hold up?
Hello
We are trying to make a river dolphin paper mache project for school
we are using a balloon shape of a dolphin
question for you, I had heard you can use liquid starch with newspaper to make paper mache will this work or should I stick with flour mixture
Thanks for your help
Denise Donlon
Hi Denise. I’ve never tried the liquid starch, but it sounds like it would work. You could do a quick experiment and find out. If you do, please let us know how it turned out.
YES – Denise – I actually would recommend liquid starch over a flour mixture when working with students. It works very well!! Good luck with your project!
Corneille
My daughter is making a Medieval Castel for a school project. What would you recommend for the texture of the walls? Also, any ideas on what materials to use for a molt or water scene? It needs to be as realistic as possible, but we are on a tight budget? Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Nikki
Hi Nikki. You daughter’s castle shouldn’t cost much, if anything. I’d use cardboard for the walls, and make some turrets with cardboard rolls from the inside of paper towels (if they would be big enough. You didn’t mention how big the castle would be). Just sculpt the entire castle with pieces of cardboard, and tape it all together with masking tape. Then cover it with paper strips and paste. She could get carried away and make “stone blocks” (just cut out a whole lot of squares and rectangles with your cardboard), glue or tape them all around the walls with a small gap between them, and then cover with paper strips and paste. Three layers of paper mache should be plenty. For the moat – gosh, I don’t know. Maybe just build a mounded area a few inches from the castle and paint the flat part between them blue? Add a crocodile for effect?
Great site!! My son is making a southwest adobe house for a school project. I am looking for some ideas on what materials he should use. This is the first time we have ever tried paper mache so we would love your input.
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth. I’d construct the house using pieces of cardboard and tape. When you have the house in the shape you want, and the windows are cut out and the roof is on, then cover it with two or three layers of paper mache. You can paint it clay colored after it’s dry. I hope your son has fun with it (and you, too, of course!)
Hi Jonni,
I was wondering if you have ever used your paper mache recipes on materials other than paper. I’m considering ribbons but I’m not sure if Elmers’ glue/water mixture will work. Do you think it would work?
I don’t know if that would work or not. You’d need to run an experiment to find out. Experimenting is fun.
Thank you so much for your website, it. Has been over ten years since I have been inspired to do any kind of artwork and I think paper mache may be my next passion. I have been using your website mainly for both instuction and inspiration as I learn and I am currently working on a few birds based on your bird tutorial, as someone has already posted before me, I’ll second them- your clay rocks!
Hi! Stumbled upon your website looking for some good paper mache recipes for some artwork ideas that I plan on working on over the summer. I was wondering what you would reccomend for finishing your project – like a varnish or something similar? I want to leave the newspaper visible, and am not quite sure what to use to really finish the project. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks.
Hi Natalie. I like to use either acrylic varnish from the art store, or water-based urethane from the hardware store. Verathane and Minwax are two brands I’ve used. They dry clear, they have a variety of finishes from satin to gloss, and the brushes are easy to clean. Have fun!
Hello, Natalie. I was on the web looking for the best and strongest ways to make, Paper Mache, and i like the tips and methods you let us all see. Well, let me get to the two questions, i wanna ask. Does paper mache made with newpaper turn yellow if left in the sun for a long time? Because you know how newspaper that is left outside in the sun that you got that morning can be yellow by the end of the day. Also, i was wondering if there is some type of coat i can put over the paper mache once it has been dry to make it stronger, and clear so i can see the writting of the newspaper? If you know of any please let me know.
Thanks.
Hi Justin. Yes, your paper mache will turn yellow if you put it in the sun. You would need to cover it with a clear coat of some sort of protective finish that included a UV blocker to keep that from happening. Almost anything will change color in direct sunlight. I’d suggest taking a trip to the hardware store – look for a clear finish and ask the clerk if they have one that will block out the UV rays. Let us know if you find something that would work.
As for making your paper mache stronger, that would almost need fiberglass – and that stuff is dangerous. I don’t recommend it. It would be better to add another layer or two of paper mache to make it stronger, instead.
Some ideas for Justin…try adding some wool….sheep. alpaca or mohair to the pulp will make it stronger and help it bounce out of the mold……I have tried this and ity has worked out really well…Cheers from Australia
Hi!
Thank you for your website, it’s very helpful! I’m working on a project where I want to make deer antlers out of paper mache. Then attach them to silk scarves or something similar so that they can be worn tied onto my head. So, they’ve gotta be life size basically, and hopefully on the bigger side. My worry is that they’ll be too heavy and fall off too easily. I need to be able to wear them for an entire evening without too much fuss. I know that paper mache is quite light, I’m just not sure if it will be light enough. If you have any suggestions about how best to go about this, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks again!
Hi Maddy. You’ll have some engineering issues, in order to get the heavy antlers to stay positioned on your head the way you want them. To make them as light as possible, I’d suggest first making the shapes out of cardboard and then reinforce the antlers with wire. At that point they should be strong enough to put them on your head and see how they feel. The paper mache won’t add much weight if you only put on two or three layers. You might need to attach the antlers to a fitted cardboard cap, so you’ll have something to attach your scarves to.
I’m always amazed by all the inventive projects people come up with. I know we’d love to see your antlers when they’re done.
Jonni,
You are truely a person that lives to teach and share your knowledge. I along with many others are greatful for your ungreediness. I wish there was a way to leave a tolken of my appreciation. I think others would agree. I may not have time to purchase ur book but I would leave my thanks in the form of a Paypal donation. Please think about making an account with paypal its easy to set up. I would like to support your amazing site! I probably will purchase your book. You have enspired me to finally make my horse sculptures that have just been waiting on the right medium!Jennifer
Hi Jennifer – that’s very sweet. If you’d like to support the site, you can click on the link to amazon.com (in the sidebar) when you make online book purchases. That way I get a small donation, and you get a book you want. I know people do put up Paypal buttons, and I’ve considered it, but I think I’ll leave things as they are at the moment. But thanks for the thought
Hi, I made some latex molds from my masks. My problem is I don’t know what is the best mixture to use on the latex molds.
I want to make fine dense pulp that would have some weight to it, and would not have much sinkage or distortion. I don’t like the air-light weight of pure paper mache, but flour tends to warp too much. I am considering trying fine sand…
I have spent weeks on each of the masks that that were carefully sanded ( I use dremel tools, dental picks and tiny files to make them) and would like to reproduce the masks to about 3/4 ” thick.
I’m not too worried about the drying time, I just want the best possible representation of the original mask. Thanks for your website!
hello try using mod podge for water proofing in your recipe for paper mache also add to your paint then paint your item three times no mildow and my large items have been hard as a rock for six years matt is good for realistic and shiney for ceramic look lorraine
Interesting idea. Basically, you’re increasing the plastic content of the paste recipe.
Note, I haven’t tried this, so I can’t tell you how it works. Since mold doesn’t grow on the clay I make (I don’t know why this is true, since some people experience mold…) I can’t test this to see if it works. And when I make things out of traditional paper strips and flour paste, I make sure to dry them fast and completely, and then seal them, so I don’t get mold.