What is the best way to make homemade paper mache?

Question

What is the best way to make homemade paper mache?

Answer 1

Mix equal amounts of flour and water to make a paste.  Then take strips of newspaper dipped into the glue and wrap around a form of what you want to make.  You can use a blown up balloon or bend some wire clothes hangers to make a form to cover.  If you want to make a pinata start with a balloon for the center of your shape.  Then bend some wire or tie a rope around it to make a hanger to hang from the ceiling to break.  The mache should dry between the layers of paper strips and paste.  The more layers the harder the shape is.

Hope this has helped you out.

Answer 2

Shredded newspaper and water and glue, either cut in strips and dip in liquid or put all in blender and make a slurry.

Have fun and be creative!

Answer 3

i dont no but y do u want to make a paper mache

Answer 4

Newspaper and glue!

Answer 5

My daugher just did this the other day.  She mixed equal parts of flour and water, blew up a balloon, and then throughly wet strips of newspaper all over the balloon, after dried, she poped the balloon made, a small slit in it and made her on pinata....I can't even take credit for it, she decided to do this while I was out and my hubby left her do it.  The only problems she had was not cleaning up her mess quick enough and when i got home, I had to clean it, and I was smiling!

Answer 6

There is no "best" way... it just depends on what you want to end up with and what you have on hand or don't mind buying.

If you want the strongest result, for example, use a white glue like Elmer's GlueAll thinned 3-4 with water rather than flour and water, and/or use more layers.

If you want something strong and quick to do, for example, instead of using strips of newspaper, saturate those blue "shop towels" that come on a roll in automotive depts and use those... they drape really nicely around forms, and are also kind of thick so not as many layers are required as with paper.

If you want something more clay-like and reasonably cheap to shape, or to add to your basic papier mache shape,  for example, you can buy (dried) Celluclay at a craft or hobby store then mix it with water at home and use (or you can make your own "paper mash" in a blender).

HTH,

Diane B.