Making Papier Mache

You can buy premixed papier mache or you can make your own. Of course, the thrifty crafter chooses the latter. There are a lot of recipes for mixing your own gooey mess and you can find some really good books on the subject.(One of my favorites is Craft Workshop: Papier Mache.)

I know how to make a mixture according to the instructions but this time around I decided to give my own method a try. I started out with the strips of paper from my shredder. Until now, this waste went into my compost pile but since it's the heat of the summer and temperatures are so high even the desert dwellers are hiding under rocks, I don't do much yard and garden work.

The picture at the end of this post shows how few materials I needed.

I gathered a handful of paper, put it in the bowl and slowly added water, enough to soak the paper completely. Don't worry if you get too much water in the bowl, just make sure the paper is completely wet.

Next I squeezed out the excess water and poured it into a container and tossed it out on the grass. (Waste not the water.) Now the damp paper needed to be decreased in size so I just started rolling it around in my hands, the way you might do if you're mixing up a meat loaf. This will crumble the paper and make it more manageable.

Once the paper was the proper consistency, I added two tablespoons of glue. (I use Aileen's Tacky Glue because there was a big sale on it so I have plenty around.)

Now it gets a little messy because you've got to use your hands to get that glue into your wet paper. More rolling and pulling and compacting and rolling. Add a little water if it gets too dry. You want it to stick together like a meat ball.

And that's it! You're ready to use your papier mache. (I don't know how it stores. I used it immediately, on that little empty Aleve bottle. But that's for the next post.