Havasu Magazine's Crafts for Kids, Old Favorites
Copyright © 2008 Robeth Publishing, LLC
Papier Mâché
Papier mâché, a craft staple, is probably one of the most versatile projects around. There are so many items one can create with papier mâché, that you are only limited by your imagination. When I was a young girl, I had a friend who created a bedroom set in papier mâché. Her brightly painted headboard and end tables were stunningly unique.
And while an entire set of furniture might be more than you would like to attempt, there are many other items to create, such as jewelry, masks, piñatas, puppets, piggy banks.....the possibilities are endless!
French for "chewed paper", papier mâché is a process that involves fashioning a wet paper substance into desired shapes and drying until hard. One might cover a balloon to create a bank or piñata. The crafter can work with strips of old newspaper, moistened by papier mâché paste, or they might use papier mâché pulp, which looks a bit like clay.
Materials needed for papier mâché paste:
3
parts water
1
part flour
Oil of wintergreen (optional) a few drops
Directions:
Mix
well. Use the oil if you don't plan to use the paste immediately.
Materials needed for papier mâché pulp:
Bucket
Newspaper
(torn into 1 inch squares)
Directions:
Put
newspaper squares into bucket. Add enough paste to paper squares
(stir) until it feels like clay.
When making your papier mâché project, you can tear strips of newspaper and wet them with the paste while applying. Or use the papier mâché pulp to shape on. Allow your project to dry completely (for several days) before painting.
