The art of paper mache with your own hands: a detailed description of the technique for beginners and step-by-step master classes on making crafts

An interesting activity of making toys in the papier-mache technique will allow children and adults to create entertaining objects and have fun with the benefits of spending time.

Working in this technique, the child develops thinking, imagination and creativity. The development of fine motor skills contributes to the mental development of children, resistance of the hand to writing. With the help of papier-mache you can create a whole world of new and fascinating crafts.

Description of the papier-mâché technique

The papier-mâché technique involves the use of different types of paper to create certain objects. With the help of water, PVA glue, paste, starch, three-dimensional figures of different shapes and sizes are created.

You can use small pieces of paper or a mass of tissue, toilet paper and paper towels for modeling toys.

The glued object is treated with sunflower oil, petroleum jelly or wrapped in foil, so that without problems you can bind the shape from the part.

Pieces are applied to the workpiece in several layers, and after drying toys are painted with paints. The more layers are applied to the workpiece, the more solid the toy.

PVA glue is diluted with water in a ratio of 2:1 or cook paste based on flour or starch. The work takes a few days, as the workpiece must dry well.

When applying a large number of layers, on the first day apply 3-4 layers and let dry well. The next day, the fabrication continues.

Suitable materials

For papier-mâché all paper materials are suitable: newspapers, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, egg cartons. All paper for work is torn by hand or cut into pieces of 1.5×1.5 or 2×2 centimeters. Egg trays are used to create a mass for molding.

Newspapers

The most popular and classic material is newspapers. This is a fairly inexpensive and affordable material for making crafts and toys. Old unwanted newspapers will serve well for creating dishes, fruit, flowers, toys for children. It is a soft, comfortable and high-quality material for papier-mâché.

Paper

White paper is used in the papier-mâché technique to make toys that do not involve coloring, or covered with a thin layer of paint. Usually office paper of A4 size is used. White details blanks or toys are simply covered with a thin layer of varnish.

You can use corrugated paper, but it makes a paper mass for molding three-dimensional figures. Colored paint can stain your hands, so it is necessary to work with it with gloves.

Toilet paper

Toilet paper is a good material for creating mass for molding. Its pieces soak in water, squeeze and add starch and PVA glue. It turns out a good sticky mass, from which you can form figures of animals, birds, heart, mushrooms, make pictures and much more.

Egg trays

Egg trays are used for molding large items. To get a good mass for molding egg trays pour hot water and insist a day.

When the whole mass is well dissolved in water, it is well squeezed with gauze or cloth and add glue.

Mushrooms, stumps, trees and other large objects can be molded from such a mixture. Coloring after drying with regular watercolors.

Papier-mache crafts - master classes

Occupying a child with a fascinating activity of making toys with their own hands is a very useful activity. The possibilities of papier-mache are unlimited, so you can create a whole gallery of handicrafts, make a gift to friends and relatives.

Creativity and imagination of children are limitless, it is necessary to use this for their development.

For the work necessary:

• Newspapers or other paper.
• PVA glue,
• Scissors,
• Paints,
• Brushes,
• Colorless lacquer,
• Water,
• Glue or starch.

Before you start making the crafts, prepare a work table. Put a oilcloth on it, as using water can ruin the work surface. Prepare a towel or wet wipes, to wipe your hands, if gloves are needed, choose the right size.

Egg

1. For convenience, mold an egg out of plasticine, since a chicken egg can be damaged by cutting the mold, or blow the egg out of the shell.
2. Grease the egg shell with sunflower oil.
3. Soak slices of newspaper in a tub of water and spoon them around the egg.
4. Glue the first layer with PVA glue. If the glue is thick, dilute it with water at a ratio of 2:1.
5. Apply 4-5 layers to the egg.
6. Allow the parts to dry well for 24 hours.
7. Carefully use a box cutter to cut the part lengthwise.
8. Remove the plasticine or shell and glue the empty halves with PVA glue.
9. Paint the egg to your liking with watercolors or gouache.
10. You can coat the egg with colorless nail polish.

Such keepsake eggs can be given to friends at Easter or made for a puppet theater.

Vase

The technology of making a vase requires painstaking and accurate work. Before starting, the vase can be covered with sunflower oil to easily remove the workpiece or wrap it in foil. It is better to take a vase straight or with a neck wider than the bottom, so you can remove the papier-mache.

Work steps:

• Apply a layer of newspaper pieces soaked in water to the vase.
• Cover the first layer with PVA glue or paste.
• Make 4-5 layers and dry the work well.
• Apply another 4-5 for strength of the product, let it dry well.
• Carefully remove the resulting vase from the base.
• Trim the edges and paint.
• Paint.

A beautiful decorative vase made in the technique of papier-mâché will decorate the interior of your room. You can make large floor vases for decorative flowers. For floor vases, a frame is made of cardboard, and pieces of newspaper are glued to it.

Cup

To make a cup, you need to glue its frame from cardboard. Take a ready template of a cup from the internet and cut out all the parts. Glue the cup with masking tape, decorate its bottom with an additional strip of cardboard:

• You can glue the cup, but at the end of the work it will be necessary to carefully cut the form, and remove it from the cup. It is more convenient to use a cardboard blank in this case. You can glue such a workpiece directly on the cardboard, without applying a protective layer.
• Pieces of newspaper are glued in three layers if you glue the newspaper to the cardboard. When gluing on the cup to make at least 5-6 layers for durability.
• After the cup dries, trim the edges with scissors and glue the handle. After that, the cup can be painted to your liking.
• Thus, you can make a doll's tea service for play.

Dolls

Original dolls can be made in the technique of papier-mache to decorate the house or a puppet theater. To work, use a mass for molding from toilet paper or napkins.

Soaked in water and well wrung out with a sieve or gauze, add PVA glue or gauze. The mass should turn out convenient for molding.

Glove puppet:

1. Make a blank doll's head out of plasticine and put it on a sleeve from toilet paper or take a ready-made plaster mold.
2. Coat the form with sunflower oil or vaseline.
3. Cover the head with the mass and let it dry well.
4. Smooth out any irregularities with plaster.
5. Paint the head.
6. Glue a gauntlet dress to the end of the sleeve.

Frame doll is molded from the mass on a special frame. On a stand made from wire frame doll. On this frame of the mass molded doll. Make the doll in several stages, carefully forming all parts of the doll's body.

Puppets are usually made for the puppet theater, using glove puppets.

Figurines

Figurines of animals, Christmas toys and just different objects for decorating the room can be made from the mass of the egg trays. Pour hot water over the egg trays and leave them to soak for a day. The resulting mass is well squeezed with a cloth and add glue and PVA glue.

The fun birds, mushrooms, hearts, stumps and trees can be molded from the resulting mass. Such figures are well dried and painted.

If necessary, when modeling insert loops of wire or string, so the toy could be hung.

Balloon

1. You can get a balloon using a balloon. It is inflated to the required size and well dabbed with sunflower oil or vaseline.
2. Pieces of newspaper soaked in water are glued to the balloon and each layer of newspaper is dabbed with PVA glue.
3. At the point of tying the ball with string, leave a small hole.
4. Cover the balloon in 4-5 layers and dry well.
5. Balloon is pierced and gently extracted from the resulting balloon.
6. The hole is glued, if necessary, you can glue the loop for hanging.
7. Color the ball.

Using imagination and creativity you can create a huge number of toys and objects made in the technique of papier-mâché, to decorate a room or play for children.

Unusual and original handicrafts will delight the child and interest him in further creativity. Many adults are fond of making dolls, creating entire collections of their works. Often, the passion for crafts in the technique of papier-mâché turns into a hobby that brings a tangible income.

Photo papier-mâché