Remember to keep smoothing down the paper pieces as you work.ĥ. Ideally your pot needs two to three layers of overlapping paper pieces. Be sure to overlap your pieces and to fully cover the container. Smooth each paper piece into position with your fingers. Dip each piece of magazine paper into the glue until it is saturated (you can smooth off excess paste with your fingers) and then layer onto the container. Turn your container upside down and start on the base. Prepare your glue by diluting it with a little water until it is slightly runny. Just be careful not to paper mache over the tape as it may make it more difficult to remove the completed pot once it has dried.ģ. If required, use a little masking tape to secure the plastic to the top of the container (you can see I have used yellow masking tape in the photos below). This will stop the paper mache from sticking to the base. Prepare your pot base by wrapping a square of plastic food wrap around the container. You might like to sort your colours as we did, or you might just like to go with a mix of colours to create a lovely multi-coloured pot.Ģ. You don’t have to use squares – you can use strips, triangles, circles – whatever shape you like. We tore out brightly coloured pages and cut the coloured sections into squares and small rectangles (approximately 2cm or 1inch square). A small, low sided plastic tray to hold the glue (we recycled a meat tray)ġ.Child friendly, white PVA based craft glue.Ensure the sides are smooth and that the opening of the container is wider than the body A plastic container to form the base of your paper mache pot.Recommended Age: 5+ years – though I think children in the early and middle years of primary/elementary school will most enjoy this process. These paper mache pots make a great first project for kids new to paper mache as a technique as they are so simple to make, and using recycled magazine pages makes this a wonderful earth friendly project too. When working on small items or tricky areas where parts join together, use narrow, short strips of your newspaper.I love paper mache as a creative technique as there are so many ways to sculpt with what is essentially just paper and glue. When moulding over something like a salad bowl you need to grease the surface of the bowl with vaseline first so that the paper mache is easier to remove in one piece when it is dry. Also a giant ice cream cone that was made for a church event. For other forms use plastic grocery bags and masking tape and become a sculptor! In the picture you will see one of the loons (that I love to make) covered with several layers of paste and paper. You can use all sorts of things for your basic form, for example blown up balloons, old tissue boxes, shoe boxes, wiffle balls - anything that is already the shape you want to make. Each strip of paper should be covered so they will all stick together. You must also let the form dry before adding each additional coat. You will have to cover the form with at least three or four layers of paste and paper to make it nice and strong. You can apply the paste on a brush or a sponge, or with your fingers, until you have covered the surface of whatever form you have moulded with your paper. When I have my 'form', this is when I start covering the whole thing with the paste and paper. However, you must decide what you are going to make! I have made many different things and make 'forms' out of wire hangers and plastic grocery bags, lavishly covered with masking tape to make adding the paper mache 'mix' very easy. When you have mixed your paste and torn up your newspaper you are ready to begin.

Paper mache