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Kelly
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| Posted: July 07 2005 at 10:34pm | IP Logged
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Question: Anyone have a tip for world's easier papier mache? I vaguely remember you can buy plain wallpaper paste, but what kind? We're talking reeeeeaaaal easy, here. Also, if we papier mache'd a balloon (to make a dinosaur egg) how long would it take to dry, a day, a week?
Thanks for any tips! Kelly in FL
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: July 08 2005 at 7:47am | IP Logged
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I use liquid starch. I think you egg would probably dry in a day or two.
Have fun!
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mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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MaryM
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| Posted: July 08 2005 at 9:19am | IP Logged
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A real easy (and cheap) paper mache paste is made with just flour and water. I use a ratio of about 1 part flour to 2 or 2 1/2 parts water. In searching the web for the recipe I see that they have variations anywhere from 1:2 to 1:4. I don't ever do it the same - just mix until I get a consistency I like (kind of a very thin pancake batter consistency is probably how I would describe it). One thing I saw while looking at the web recipes was that there are variations which include boiling the mixture -I've never done that. Also it says in humid climates this mixture can attract mold - something I have never had a problem with or thought about since we are in a real dry climate.
How long it takes to dry depends on how many layers you have. We've made lots of pinatas this way and I can say that I have sometimes made them too thick so they are really tough to break open. I've learned to do one layer then overlap a second layer in areas that look thin. It's amazing how strong flour, water, and newspaper can be with just a few layers when they dry!! With the two layers ours dry in about 2-3 days - again a dry climate here. It would definitely take longer in a moister climate like yours.
Note on technique - we dip the paper in the paste mixture and and run through fingers to scrap off excess so it has a thin coating not too goopy. I can see that a with a thinner paste you probably wouldn't do that, but might end up needing more layers to get the strength.
Sorry this isn't more exact - for us it's an inexact science.
Good luck.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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Kelly
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| Posted: July 08 2005 at 9:35am | IP Logged
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Thanks for the ideas. I have seen so many recipes on line that I felt like I needed to get some info from those who'd been-there-done-that, tried-and-true ideas. Many thanks!
Kelly in FL
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MaryM
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| Posted: July 08 2005 at 10:20am | IP Logged
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Kelly wrote:
| Thanks for the ideas. I have seen so many recipes on line that I felt like I needed to get some info from those who'd been-there-done-that, tried-and-true ideas. |
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Oh, and for a been-there-done-that moment, don't put the egg in a warm oven to speed up drying - I "forgot" that heat expands balloons! 
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Mary M. in Denver
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Kelly
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| Posted: July 08 2005 at 11:11pm | IP Logged
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Have any of you all used the Elmers glue approach (instead of paste) for your papier mache? On one web-site, this method was touted as being especially good for humid climates (and do we ever have a humid climate here!)
Kelly in hot, muggy, humid, Florida
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momwise
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| Posted: July 09 2005 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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marychris wrote:
I use liquid starch. I think you egg would probably dry in a day or two.
Have fun! |
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I picked up a 1/2 gal. at the grocery store yesterday. It looks like an easy method. Dss want to make a castle with a box and toilet paper tubes so I thought it might be the easiest way to cover it.
MaryM wrote:
| We've made lots of pinatas this way and I can say that I have sometimes made them too thick so they are really tough to break open. I've learned to do one layer then overlap a second layer in areas that look thin. It's amazing how strong flour, water, and newspaper can be with just a few layers when they dry!! ! |
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My family made the pinata for my brothers rehearsal dinner a few years ago. We put one nice layer on and let it dry a good long time. Then a 2nd layer...and let that one dry. Then a 3rd....and another...I don't know when we stopped. Well, of course there was no way an kid was going to get that pinata opened!! They beat it to death and I think we probably had to use a hammer and chisel or something  You could probably build a house out of that stuff
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Kelly
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| Posted: July 09 2005 at 8:02pm | IP Logged
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What a hoot, Gwen. I can just envision the wedding party, all dressed to the nines, over there clubbing the pinata with a vengeance, to no avail...
Kelly in FL
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4Real Forums : The Arts in the Everyday
Topic: Papier Mache
