Tutorials
Learn to make the following paper mache animal sculptures (and a few seasonal trinkets) with the tutorial posts on this blog. You can follow the instructions exactly to produce a sculpture that looks just like mine, or get creative and use the techniques to build unique artwork that’s yours alone.
Some of the tutorials are shown below – but there are many more on this site. (At last count, there were 53 tutorials, with more coming all the time). To see all the paper mache tutorials on the blog, click here. And to see all of the other posts on this site (over 200 and counting) click here. You can also download the free Practical Paper Mache ebook, which was created by readers of this blog, here.
If you have a particular project in mind, we may have it – to find out, use the search bar on the sidebar.
If you make any of these projects, please let us know – and we’d all love to see your finished work.
Note: Most of these tutorials use traditional paper strips and white flour paste. However, you can use the instructions along with the new paper mache clay, if you prefer. I now use the clay for almost all of my paper mache sculptures.
To reach the tutorial of your choice, just click on one of the images below.
Paper Mache Clay Tutorials
Paper Mache Clay Frog
Paper Mache Clay Butterflies
Paper Mache Clay Snowman
Traditional Paper Mache Tutorials:
Life-Sized Baby Elephant Sculpture:
Large Paper Mache Baby Indian Elephant
Good Starting Projects
Paper Mache Bluebirds
Paper Mache Piggy Bank
Paper Mache Baby Sperm Whale Wall Hanging
Paper Mache Whale Wall Hanging
Paper Mache Orangutan Mask
African Ceremonial Mask
Paper Mache Dragon
Paper Mache Lop-Eared Bunny
Paper Mache Rabbit Sculpture
Paper Mache Panda Sculpture
Paper Mache Long-Beaked Echidna Sculpture
Paper Mache Long-Beaked Echidna Sculpture
Paper Mache Horse Sculpture (see links below)
Paper Mache Horse Sculpture
This last tutorial is a series of posts showing my progress with a fairly complicated and advanced animal sculpture that took two weeks to complete. To read the posts from first to last, follow these links:
- Horse Sculpture Post #1
- Horse Sculpture Post #2
- Horse Sculpture Post #3
- Horse Sculpture Post #4
- Horse Sculpture Post #5
- Horse Sculpture Post #6
- Final Post
Seasonal Decorations:
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Valentines Day Bouquet
Be sure to also check out the many other tutorials and posts on this site.
If you have any questions about any of the tutorials, or just want to sound off, please remember to leave a comment. Your comments make this blog much more fun for me to create.
- My favorite online bookstore.
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This is an incredable sight, very inspiring. I can’t wait to start the piggy bank with the kids.
can you sand finished paper mache to make it smooth
Yes, you can.
NICE SITE. LOVE YOUR RABBITS AND YOUR SHARING.
Parabéns pelos turorial, seus trabalhos são lindos mesmo. Sou do Brasil. Forte abraço !
wow, you are trully an artist thanks for sharing your art with others, they are all so beautiful and impressive, it’s hard to believe they are made out of paper mache.
My son has to do a science project and wants to step out side the box, he wants to try and replicate a Gamma Ray Burst out of paper mache. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Ruth
I’m afraid I don’t even know what a gamma ray burst is. Your son might want to join the paper mache rt group on Yahoo. Some of the members are quite creative and always willing to help with their advice.
Hey. These are really amazing! I have been interested in paper mache for quite some time but I never really had a reason to make anything until now.
You see, I’m in a production group that’s going to be present a stageplay of Aladdin this May, and I’ve been looking for a puppet of Iago (the parrot) everywhere. After hours of searching, I stumbled upon this website and it sort of inspired me to attempt to build my own puppet using paper mache.
If you could give me any tips or hints on my endeavor it would be greatly appreciated! Do you think paper mache is a good route to go for this? Thanks in advance!
Yes, paper mache would be a perfect material for your puppet. I’ve never made a puppet, so I don’t know anything about the mechanics of it. Perhaps someone else will see your comment and offer some advice.
Have fun with it. We’d love to see it when it’s done.
What would be the sturdiest way to fasten cloth to the body parts? If I end up doing what I have in mind I will make the body parts separately (3-4) and keep them held together with a piece of burlap or something similar so they will be able to move freely while covering the puppeteers arm. One more thing, how many layers of paper should be applied to the surface of the piece?
Thanks for the quick response! I will be sure to post up pictures if/when I finish the puppet.
Since I’ve never made a puppet, you should take any advice I give with a grain of salt. I’m sure a better source for information about this particular project would be Dan Reeder, the Monster Man. I’m pretty sure I’ve read that he’s made some puppets. But, now that you’ve been warned, here’s how I would do it:
First, I’d use paper mache clay instead of paper strips and paste, just because it’s so much easier to get fine details. Plus, it’s faster. You can even make things like feathers that are very thin, but strong. (See photos of the paper mache clay chicken, with her tail feathers sticking out. They were made just like the wings on the butterflies.) I have not made anything hollow from the paper mache clay, but I’ll be doing some experiments soon.
For making your cloth hinges, you could put a thin layer of clay on both pieces, then embed the cloth into the clay and cover it with another layer. I have not tried this, so I don’t know if it would work. You might need to dip the edges of the cloth into some diluted glue, to make sure it sticks to the clay.
You could do the same thing with paper strips and paste, as long as the first layer was still wet and there’s lots of paste to come in contact with the cloth.
I hope this helps, at least a little. But, as I said, this is all theoretical…
Hey there! Sorry it’s been so long, I’ve been meaning to show you my final product for a long time now. It turned our great. The entire head is paper mache, beak included. I went over it once in clay and and whole lot of times with spackle, sanded then painted it. The body is paper mache too with a big hole in the middle for your arm. I glued felt to the head and torso then made wings out of foam. The feet are regular store bought clay. Thanks for the tips!
Great job on the puppet. I hope the play was a rousing success!
What a surprise! I was searching the internet for tips on papier mache projects for an upcoming play at my school…and stumbled across your site. Scrolling thru the page I see posts about Aladdin and Iago…only to realize from the picture that this was OUR musical this past spring! You are the person that helped us create that fantastic Iago parrot, and yes, the show was a fantastic success!
Now we are planning for “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” and need a life size stone statue of a sleeping wolf and a very large stone statue of a lion. Your video on the Baby Elephant may be the solution we need. Any other ideas or tips?
Hi Kim. I’m glad your last play was a success – the parrot was definitely a winner.
I don’t know if you’ve seen the new paper mache recipe – it would be perfect for a faux-stone statue. In fact, you could color the clay a light gray, and you may not even need to paint the statues when they’re dry.
If you don’t think anyone will sit on your wolf or lion, you can use cardboard inside instead of the particle board that I used for the elephant. The elephant weighs about 40 pounds – a big problem if you need to move things around. I’m using cardboard inside the owl that I’m currently working on – you can see the process of making the pattern on the first snowy owl post. You can use exactly the same techniques to make your big “stone” statues.
Good luck with your play. I hope it’s a huge success.
HI, I NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE PASS YOUR FOR NUMBER .YOURS PIECES FOR SALE, I NEED THE PRICE THE BABY ELEPHANT.THANKS
Hello Michelle. The baby elephant is not for sale. It is much too heavy to ship. However, if you would like to commission a new one, which would be made with my new, lighter techniques, I would be glad to consider it. Please use my contact form.
My kids and I would love to try a elephant paper mache project! Can you possible tell me how to scale it down from a garden scuplture to make a book shelf decoration? Either the Asian or african would work but since the kids are 9 and 6 I think a Asian would be easier for them to work on. Thanks!
Hi Brooke. You can easily scale the elephant down using the baby elephant pattern, and making smaller squares in your grid. Use cardboard instead of particle board for the pattern, and then everything else would be done the same as in the elephant video. The pattern is for an Asian elephant, which has smaller ears and a different head shape than an African elephant. If you prefer an African elephant, you would need to alter the pattern, or simply draw your own.
Okay thanks for that! I would like to ask one more question. My son is in the middle of making a paper mache turtle for a book cover. I used styrafoam to make the circle , a ballon and masking tape for the rounded portion,a paper towel tube and styrafoam ball for the head and neck. We cover this with the flour and paste newspaper mix. Now my question is can I put it in the oven to dry if i keep it under 200 and to make a smooth piece would you say joint compound or the gesso mix? Thank you for the help!
Hi Brooke. I’m thinking that the balloon would expand in the oven, because that’s what air does when it heats up. It might pull your paper mache apart. But it might work. I have to admit that I just don’t have the answer to this question. The paper mache itself will be just fine in the oven – it’s just the balloon I’m worried about.
This is such a generous site to share the years of knowledge and expertise so freely so we can all enjoy and experiment with paper mache. I am truly inspired and cant wait to get my hands into it, thankyou!
I have a question about applying the paper mache clay. Is there a trick to spreading it about the armature? I’ve been using a small cup of water to dip my fingers into so it does not stick to my fingers, but i think this ends up adding a fair amount of water to my project, hence longer dry time. If i dont use water it starts really sticking to my fingers or tool, then it starts to dry and then of course sticks even more. Its not really a problem but if theres a neat little trick to this i’d love to hear it.
thanks again. just watched your first dragon armature tutorial,, fantastic
Mike.
Hi Mike. I’ll try to get the second dragon video done soon, so you can see how I add the clay. I don’t add water, but my clay seems to go on smoothly if I use the flat side of a knife. I don’t get my fingers in it, since the knife is better at making a smooth layer.
One question, though. Are you using Elmer’s Glue-All? One reader tried the Elmer’s school glue, and she said it was really sticky. The Glue-All doesn’t seem to make sticky clay, at least mine goes on easily. I spread it out in a very thin layer, maybe 1/8″ thick.
Yes im using Glue-all, but i do use my fingers a lot, for spots my tool wont get into. I probably just need to practice more with which ever tool im using, most my experience is with clay and i think i picked up habits that i need to break.
Ill be watching for the next installment of your dragon piece. I love how your armatures turn out before the paper stage starts, your are all so tidy and artsy just the way they are. I really need to slow down on armatures, its the part i enjoy the least.
Mike
Hi i’m 10 and i’m horse mad so i love the horse sculpture i was just woundering how long did it take you??? i may try make a smaller version if possible!!!!
from emily
Hi Emily. The horse took me several weeks. I did a lot of experimenting while I did this horse, so be sure to read through all the posts before starting your project. I would do a few things differently if I started over. For one thing, use cardboard for the legs, instead of the plasterboard, which was a very bad idea. Tape some strong wire to the leg patterns to reinforce them. You can see how I did that when I made the paper mache clay horse for my book here.
Oh, I forgot to ask: what kind of paint do you use on this material?
Thank you,
Manon
I use acrylic paint, but I think any medium would work. It would be interesting to see what an oil painter does with a three-dimensional “canvas” made this way.
Hi, I love how informative your site is! I am starting a paper mache project today and doing something of a tree where i’m going to use brown paper. My question is, i want to have parts that are rough and sticking out (so the whole sculpture isn’t smooth) so as to emulate tree bark. Do you know of a good way to achieve this result? I was thinking about curling part of the paper and only dipping one end in the paste on the final layer. Do you think that would work? Thanks for your info!
Kristin
Hi Kristin. I’ve never tried your method, but it certainly sounds like it might work. One of the best things about paper mache is the opportunity to experiment and try new things. Let us know how it turns out.
I am deciding on making a papier mache of Wall-E, but I’m not sure about what materials I should use to make his wheels. I am told to use easy materials like cardboard, tissue rolls (without tissue), scissors, tape, glue, paper, etc. What materials do you think I should use for Wall-E’s wheels?
I was thinking cardboard for his wheel surroundings and 3 tissue rolls on the inside for the wheels. Do you think that would work?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Shiky. I think your idea will work. There’s only one way to find out – give it a try and see what happens.
(Note – the image of Wall-e was removed from the comment to avoid copyright infringement).
Hello Jonni, my name is Randel, I am a 3rd grade teacher at the Jersey City Community Charter School in Jersey City,NJ. I am an avid follower of your website. Were studying dinosaurs for quite sometime now as a thematic unit of study, and the main event of our study will be our Dino museum which will highlight works of our students. One of my students suggested we build a big T-Rex (approx. 4ftx8ft including the tail) as our center piece. We started the cutting of plywood yesterday for the armature and will begin the process of putting chicken wire then masking tape tommorrow. This is going to be a challenging project for our grade level, since we never built a huge project like this before. Three classes will take turn everyday to mold this project and hopefully will come out a success. I am so thankful about the elephant video you posted. It helped us a lot in the process of making a pattern. We will send you pictures when we are done with our project. Chao!
Wonderful – I can’t wait to see your T-Rex.
So far this is the finished armature. Can’t wait to try your signature paper clay recipe.
Hello Jonni, first of all, congratulations! on your recently published book. I have already order several copies for gifts to my niece and friends. Such a wonderful book. My students are now done with our T-Rex. Thanks to your experience and techniques, we were able to finished a gigantic dinosaur (gigantic to our own measurement at least). We learned so much from your website and we included our dinosaur as one of our main attractions in our exhibit. Our exhibit will run until June 4, 2010. Again, many thanks.
Wow – he’s fantastic! You and your students did a great job.
Here’s another picture.
Hi! I love the work that you do. I know it takes time and skill. My son has a project abot minotaur coming up and he was wanting to dress up as minotaur for his oral presentation. WIth that said he wants to do a paper mache head of minotaur to wear. I am not sure as to how to do this with a bulls head. If you could please contact me back and let me know it would be wonderful. Thank you again.
Hi Sara. Since a bull’s head will be somewhat heavy, I’d start with a helmet-shaped cardboard structure, like the one under my African mask, and then build up the long snout and horns with crumpled paper and masking tape. Then cover it all with paper mache. This sounds like a fun project – I hope you let us see it when your son finishes it.
Hi Jonni,
I am a 2nd grade classroom teacher and I would like to create a life size paper mache tree for the children to sit under in our reading center. I have searched the Internet but have not found a step-by-step process on how to construct the paper mache tree. I welcome your suggestions and advice. I am a visual learner so if you could provide some pictures as well as the steps that would be very helpful.
Thank you!
Hi Terri. I have never made a paper mache tree, but it seems like a popular project. I just did a Google search and found this page: http://www.aspenmurals.com/tree.html but the tree is built over an existing post.
I think I’ll put up a post on my blog asking for suggestions for this and other projects. Maybe we can find someone who has some experience and will be willing to offer some advice.
I am making a tree that will be kinda 3-dimensional. It will be up against a wall so it will have 3 sides. I plan on using chicken wire, paper mache, and then the paper mache paste. I am looking for details on making the bark look real and suggestions on how to make those ridges as in the wedding tree centerpieces. I have already built a treehouse to go in it and have leaves to add for branches.
Hi Jacki. I didn’t make the paper mache tree that I recently posted, so you might want to put a comment on that post to ask Kt how she did the bark. I don’t think she used the paper mache clay, because she started her project before the recipe was developed. I believe she used paper towels, which scrunch up very nicely to form details like the bark on her trees. If you use the clay instead, you can use a piece of real bark for a model and form the clay into the shapes and ridges with your knife. For something that large, Kt’s method might be easier. Ask her, and see if she agrees with me.
Love your site. It has inspired me to get back into creating. I have a few projects im working on and wondered if there is a final step to get the outside as smooth as possible( other than sanding ).
Thanks for all you do
Hi Collin. I use a home-made gesso on my sculptures, just before painting them. The gesso can be put on in several coats, and lightly sanded between each one. Or you can use a damp sponge to “sand” the gesso, which is a lot less messy.
If you are talking about the dips and bumps that are made when you put paper strips and paste over a crumpled paper and masking tape form, you can either smooth on a layer of joint compound, wait until it dries, use the sponge to get the layer as smooth as you want it, and then add one more layer of paper strips and paste. Or you can use the new paper mache clay recipe instead of paper strips and paste for your entire project (see the frog and butterfly tutorials to see how this is done) and then you don’t have any dips and bumps to worry about. You can use the clay instead of traditional paper mache on any of the projects shown in my tutorials.
This is wayy to cool :] I want to learn how would you build a t-rex with paper mache? Can you give me some advice?
For a really big, life-sized T-Rex, you could do it the same way I built my baby elephant. For a table-top sized sculpture, you could do it like the dragon I recently made.
Have fun with it. That sounds like a great project.
My interest is Music Hall 1860 – 1910, I have recently purchased a papier mache
bust of an artist from that period who is in need of a little TLC, I live in the Midlands and am looking for someone who would like to advise me, or take on the task. Thanks Malcolm
You might try to contact the folks at http://www.papiermache.co.uk/. They may know someone a bit closer, who could help.
hi this is really cool my mom is making a paper mache for the little mueseum thing we are making for school and she is really good at it These are amazing good job whoever made them hahah … bye.
Hello, Your sight is fabulous!!
I have a question. I am making a pig using strips of paper, flour glue and a balloon. How many layers of paper should I apply? I’m on layer 3 at the moment and I can still feel the softness of the balloon. Will it turn into a hard shell at any stage? Thanks
Hi Kat. Since your pig will be hollow, without an armature supporting it from inside, you’ll probably need six to eight layers. Make sure they’re completely dry all the way through, and the paper mache will become hard and strong.
This is a wondrful inspiring site. I have been in search for information on paper mache furniture, any ideas?
Hi Sue. I’ve never made any paper mache furniture myself, but it’s definitely something I’d like to do someday. I did a fast Google search just now using the search term “papier mache furniture” photos. For actual instructions, I used the term how to make paper mache furniture. There were several tutorials on that page. Maybe one of them would be enough to get you started. If you figure it out, please let us know.
I have an ambitious idea for making furniture. I am using a mixture of flour water (and some salt) with what paper i can grab. Any suggestions, hints, or words of caution?
Hi Paul. I’ve never made furniture myself, and so far I have not found any good paper mache furniture tutorials online. The flour and water paste will work just fine for the paper mache layers, but you’ll need to support the paper mache with something underneath. I think a lot of people use cardboard glued up in blocks, to give a firm support. That takes a lot of cardboard.
Sorry I can’t help much. If you find a good source of knowledge on this subject, please let us know!
Hi, I love your website! I would like to make a paper mache squirrels but i am not sure about the outline for the body and the legs and arms that i would need to cut out of cardboard. Could you kindly post an outline drawing similar to the one for the paper mache panda (which i have already made and looks AWESOME!)
Thank You!
Hi Simone. I haven’t drawn any squirrels, but I can give you some tips about how to draw one of your own. Find a photo of a squirrel on the internet that shows the squirrel from the side. Print it out and draw an outline around the squirrel – keep the head, body and tail together. Draw the legs, including the parts of the legs that are attached to the shoulder and hips. Then cut out your pattern, with the legs separate pieces. To make it easier, you could print out two copies, and cut the body/head/tail piece from one copy, and the legs from the other copy. Then put it all together the way you did the panda.
Congratulations on your panda, by the way. That’s a fairly advanced project. Now that you know how the pieces go together, your squirrel should come out great!
i sucessfully made a paper mache chicken rosster and eggs just from viewing the vids on u tube. thank you for them, i have a present to try to make my grandmother come to live with my family.
Just found your site. Thanks so much for sharing your work and recipes with us. Your artistry is stunning. I could only hope my attempt at this craft (new for me) would turn out projects 1/4 as nice as yours.
Thank you, thank you , thank you!!!
hi my name is leila! I was wondering if you could do one on a 3d K, the letter? Im doing this project for school, and im very interested in paper mache, after my mom introduced it to me, so if you could PLEASE do one, it would help alot! thank you! and you have beautiful beautiful masterpieces i wouldve never thought of
Hi There, I just mixed up my first batch of clay, I am curious, have you ever used the clay to sculpt a picture frame? I find the strip by strip quite time consuming as it must be done in layers letting it dry with each layer. Thank you so much. Julie
Jonni, love you website. Can you tell me what I can use for a form. I am making a football helmet 6’6″ tall 6″ wide and 6’6″ deep. It’s for a decorating project. Because it needs to be hollow not sure what to use. Can you give me some suggestions. Thanking you in advance, Terri
Hi Terri. I’d make a form using crumpled newspaper and masking tape. If the helmet is open at the bottom, like a real one, you can pull the paper out after the paper mache is dry. Use enough layers of paper and paste if you’re using that method, to make sure it’s strong enough to hold up without anything inside it holding it up.
Hi Jonni. Hmm.. actually i don’t really understand the method that u stated.. what do u mean by pulling the paper out after the paper mache is dry.. i thought it already stuck together to the paper mache ??
can u clarify it for me ?? thank you so much ya.. ^^
by the way, how to make the paper mache stronger ?? any idea ??
can i use epoxy, or polyester type resin to harden it ?? thanks ya !
If you need a sculpture to be hollow, you can cut open the dried paper mache and remove the armature. Once you try it, you’ll see that it does work, especially if you completely cover your crumpled paper with masking tape before adding paper mache.
If you need something stronger than paper mache, you might be interested in using Dan Reeder’s idea of using glue-soaked cotton cloth as the last layer. He discusses it in detail in his book.
madam i starded papper mache projects ur my inspiration ,mamdam i want to make dog (puppy) i want pattern madam can u share,and want to make birds
I do have a dog pattern, which is part of my new paper mache book. In fact, I put the dog on the cover. I don’t have a dog pattern available on this site, however. You can also follow the instructions in the book to create a dog pattern of your own.
We are trying to build a life sized Mr Potato head for my daughters pre K class. Should we use something inside the chicken wire to hold the shape or for structure? Or do you think we should use something else like cardboard or foam to make the base? I think we will have to use the flour paste method because the children are going to help with the process. Any suggestions would be great!
My own favorite way to make an armature is to use crumpled paper and masking tape, because it gives you a firm base for the paper mache, and it’s reasonably easy to make it fairly smooth before the paper mache is added. Chicken wire is difficult to make firm, since it has so much “give” when you push on it from the side. That isn’t to say it won’t work – just that it isn’t the way I usually make things. You can make it more firm by enclosing it with masking tape or duct tape, and that may be all you need unless kids may get a bit rough with it. If it still seems to flexible, you could use a second layer of chicken wire over the first one, and attach the two layers together at intervals – then cover with tape or just go with the paper mache.
You might also want to look into the vinyl covered chicken wire that I found when I used it for an actual chicken house – it doesn’t seem to stab you so often, and it holds its shape better than uncoated wire. You get it at the feed and seed store, next to the regular wire.
I think the crumpled paper & tape method you suggest sounds safer and easier for a pre k class. Maybe we should start with cardboard (like you would make a 3 dementional tree) and then fill in with crumpled paper & tape. The paper mache with adhere to the paper & masking tape? Instaed of painting it we were going to ude brown paper bags grocery for our strips. Have you ever used them? Thanks again for your suggestions!
Yes, brown paper works really well as a final coat, especially if you use a paste or diluted glue that lets the color show through. Paper mache does adhere to masking tape – although it doesn’t stick solid. That way, if you want to, you can open up your sculpture and take out the armature, creating a hollow piece. But the paper mache is on there tight enough if you want to leave the armature inside.
Good luck with your project. Be sure to post a photo when it’s done!
Hi Jonni,
I am 9 and I am very impressed with your art. You have a grand imagination. I am going to use some of your tips to create a paper mache of my own on a smaller scale. I have my tests and do not have much time today but am looking forward to coming back soon for the big elephant shortly. I will send the pics to you as soon as I have done so.
God bless
-Yocheved-Marie Leo
I hope you have a lot of fun with your project. If you’re going to make the elephant, be sure to see the photos that Barbara took when she built a slightly smaller version with a cardboard pattern. She took tons of photos, so click on the link in her comment.
Hey Jonni,
Me and my classmates are trying to make a bust of Octavian, is this paper mache clay safe to put on your face??
please respond soon to my email.
Absolutely not. For one thing, the clay recipe uses some products originally designed for the construction industry, not the cosmetic industry. Putting them in direct contact with your skin would be a really bad idea. And the next reason is simply practical – the clay will take from 24 to 48 hours to dry. Who can keep their face still for that long?
A safe alternative is to use aluminum foil to make a face shape – press it gently over a face to get the basic features – and then stuff the aluminum foil with soft cloth or paper towels to make it hold it’s shape while you add the clay.
Hi I love your site. I have made a snowbaby with the paperclay . Quick question. Can I use a oven to dry my snowbaby.
Yes, you can put the snowbaby in the oven, but keep the temperature around 200 F. The glue in the clay starts to give off fumes if you bake them any higher than that, and that can’t be good for you. It may take several hours to dry in a warm oven. Another way to dry the piece faster is to put it in front of a fan.
Jonni thanks for the quick reply . I ‘m excited to finish my first christmas ornament of the season . I’ll send a picture when it’s done.Thanks again!
Hello,
I just came across this website and I want to tell you how amazing I think your sculptures are! Thank you for sharing them and your clay recipe…so very generous. =) ?
What would you use as the armature of a 6 feet tall Mr. Potato head? I read the previous comment, but I am not sure how to make the shape with crumpled paper. Could I use a big trash bag and fill it with paper and the put masking tape around it? What would you use for the ears, shoes and face features? I would like for them to be separate like on the actual Mr. Potato Head. Finally, how long do you think it might take me? Thanks.
That’s a very big sculpture – so I agree that the trash bags would work well. Or you could shape some chicken wire and cover that with paper mache – which might be easier. You could use crumpled paper and masking tape for the separate pieces, but I’m not sure how you’d get them to stick on – velcro, maybe?
Hi Jonni! Im wondering about the horse sculpture in the book – Make animal sculptures with paper mache clay. I watched your video on youtube but it wasn’t very detailed and I couldn’t understand if I put the alumium foil on just one side of the leg or both. And also can the legs with the wire side be facing me?
You do want to add aluminum foil to both sides of the leg to make it round. And you can put the wire on either side – it will be covered by the foil and paper mache clay.
Although it’s a very different type of animal, the echidna tutorial does show how the armature is built. That tutorial was created before I started using paper mache clay, but you just substitute the clay for the paper strips and paste. Just one layer is enough if you use the clay. The horse could also be made with paper strips, but it would be hard to get the details right.
I am so happy i found your website! It has given me so many ideas for Christmas presents. I have no job this year and I had gone all out last year, so I was feeling so bad because I had nothing to give people and then I find this and it gives me so many ideas, thank you!
I was wondering however if you had any tutorials on how to make dogs? More specifically, a Labrador dog. Thank you so much if you can help me.
Hi Lynz. I don’t have a tutorial specifically for a dog, but you can make one with the latest techniques I’ve been using – make a cardboard pattern based on a photo or drawing, then pad the pattern with crumpled paper or aluminum foil, covered with masking tape. Cover that with traditional paper strips and paste or the new paper mache clay recipe. The only dog tutorial I’ve done so far is the dachshund that appears in my paper mache animal sculptures book. Also, use the search bar at the top of this page and search for “dog,” and you’ll see the wonderful examples of paper mache dogs that readers have sent in. They’re really inspiring.
Excellent site!!!! thanks for sharing,,,,,
this isnt an animal so its a little off topic, but i found this kid who makes guns out of paper and they look so real I just cant believe what I’m looking at. Ill post a link and you can tell me what you think. the thing even shoots, has springs inside of it ect… its one of those ” i cant believe it paper” projects.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zACwya3icRs
Hi, I love the site, it’s given me a bunch of great ideas! I have one question that you may be able to help me with. I’m planning on making a bunch of masks as gifts and hopefully maybe even eventually sell some. However, I don’t want to paper mache my face every time I need to start a new mask. These masks will be human-like and wearable so I can’t really build a form out of newspaper and tape. Would a sytrofoam head, the kind you can find at a beauty store, work? Or would I have to buy a more expensive plastic beauty store head? Also, would you suggest coating either of these in a substance such as petroleum jelly? I need to be able to re-use the head form so I can’t just go at destroy it in order to get the paper mache mask off. Thanks for your help and any extra advice on semi-mass producing these things would be very much appreciated! Take care!
Hi Kate. The foam heads will work if they’re the right size – you can make one mask and test it, or do some measuring. I’d cover the head with plastic tape instead of petroleum jelly, since the oil will get embedded in the paper mache.
You might also be able to use the foam head to make a paper mache mask which you could then use as a mold for future masks. A paper mache mold will remain slightly flexible, so it might be easier to remove than the foam heads would be, after the mask’s paper mache is dry.
Good luck with your project. I hope you’ll let us see how they turn out.
Hi – I own a clothing store and have been searching the internet for ideas for decorating my store front windows for the holidays. So glad I found your site. I decided to make a snowman. I would like it to be at least 4 feet tall. Since I didn’t know if I could do it, my kids (ages 7 and 9) made a 2 foot tall one tonight. I couldn’t believe how much fun and easy it was. we did make the clay and I was shocked how easy it was to apply (even for my little ones) I was also surprised that my kitchen wasn’t a utter mess (I remember doing paper mache when I was younger and I do remember how messy it was) I would still like to make a larger one. do you think stuffing a garbage bag for a snowman 4 feet tall is the way to go?
hi jonni,
m a news editor n i,m really impressed wid ur work . nd there is b lot of thing on ur site n i actully learnt many thing . nw i made an elephant nd it almost completed so will u plz told me how it looked smooth nd which color i used to made him smooth?
I used a layer of paper towels as the “skin,” which gives the elephant a nice texture.
Hi Jonni,
Have only recently started our many project and the site will be up and running soon. We (my daughter and I) make fairy doors, fairies and dragons. Well, we try to. We used potters clay for the dragons and sculpey. The potter clay kept on cracking and after many emails were told to make them with paper mache. Had no idea on how to. Then this morning I found your site. You have a wonderful site and thank you for sharing. Do you have a tutorial on fairies?
Hi Sylvia. Sorry – no fairies. Perhaps you could someday write up a tutorial on the subject, after you and your daughter figure it all out?
Hi Jonni,
Love your site and projects!
I made a baby whale…to paint it, i used satin verathene and a bit of brown paint…i am not so fond of the color…it’s too dark….I don’t want to start from scratch…do you have any suggestions for how I could lighten the color? I tried rubbing the whale with satin verathane, but it doesn’t help so much…Thank you…Aaron.
Hi Aaron. You might try adding just a little bit of white to some Verathane – just enough to show, but not enough to make the varnish opaque. When this is put on the whale it might lighten it up just a bit. I would try this on a hidden spot first, though, because I don’t know if it would work. I tried something very similar, using acrylic paint, when my African mask turned out too dark. I’m not sure it it’s obvious from the photos, but you can kind of get the idea, I think. If you go to that page and look at step 18 you can see the mask was a very dark gray. Then in step 20 I made a glaze using Verathane and acrylic paint. If you need to wipe it off, like I did, you need to work really fast.
Good luck with it. We’d love to see your whale when it’s done.
Do you have a tutorial for a large cow? I LOVE your elephant and I would love to try this process with a cow!
Thanks!!
Debbie
No cow, sorry. But you can use the same ideas from the video about the elephant, and just change the shapes. The legs are thinner, so they would need stronger support – perhaps regular lumber, or rebar bent into the correct shape. My baby elephant needed to be moved this morning when I rearranged the furniture, and it reminded me of how heavy she is. Some adjustments might need to be made in the system to reduce the weight for a full-sized cow.
I just may try to make a cow after I get used to this process!! Your elephant is amazing and I really enjoyed the video!!
THANK YOU!!
Debbie
Okay… frustration has set in!! I need suggestions!! Please HELP!!
I am trying to make a 36″ tall floor vase. I took the suggestion of crumbling newspaper into a plastic garbage bag. After a couple of failed attempts… I decided to cut out a cardboard base. I tried again, filling the bag with the crumbled newspapers. I used masking tape to secure the cardboard base to the bag. I tried to create the basic shape of a basic vase, using string and masking tape. (I can upload the picture of the vase that I am trying to make… but I don’t know how to do that here.)
After mutilating 5 garbage bags… using a whole roll of 2″ masking tape… and changing the color of my hands to newsprint black… I give up!! I am assuming that I need something more solid to use as an armature… but what? This is my first project and I am already frustrated. Please help!!
Thank you!!
One sad Papier Mache enthusiast in NC… LOL!!
Hi Debbie. Since I use crumpled paper squished together very firmly, my armatures are solid. However, I usually crumple the paper, squish it tight, and then cover it with tape. The plastic bag idea does seem to work, but you need to put in lots of paper.
You might want to go back to your original idea of using chicken wire. If you have some on hand, it might be easier for you. Since your vase has a very long, thin neck, you could use a cardboard tube in that area to form your chicken wire around.
Keep trying – you’ll make it work. See this page for the instructions about uploading photos.
Hi Jonni…
I hope this works. Here is the basic shape that I am trying to make for the floor vase.
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