Paper Mache

Fun Paper Mache Projects

Paper mache is very simple. You can use any type of paper that you want, but newspaper works just fine. If you are going to use paper other than newspaper, remember that the paper should be on the thinner side. You start by ripping your paper into strips about an inch or two inches wide. You can make them as long or as short as you want. You want your paper mache strips to be easy to work with but not too large so that you have trouble making it mold into the shape that you hope to achieve.

Some paper mache projects are simple, but you may have to build a base when you want to make something large. Because you use a simple mix of flour and water to make a paste, you need some sort of stability underneath your project. You can use wire if you want, or you can use anything else similar. You should form whatever it is into the general shape of what you hope to make, and then do the fine shaping once you start applying your paper mache.

Once you are done, and you have allowed your paper mache to dry, you can then use paints to finish it up. Children will love the mess of adding the sopping wet strips to the form, and they will love to paint it once it has dried. They can even use glue to add any number of different things to their finished creation. You may frown on such a messy project, but you should let them do it anyway. In fact, you should do it right along with them. You may have more fun than you have had in a long time. You can think of it as yet another of the moments that your child will cherish as he or she grows, and you will have something to save to remind you of their younger years.

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