Papier Mache & other free hobbies for all ages 22 December 2007 at 1:08PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Debt-Free Wannabe 108 replies 24.9K views

Frugaldom

I'm also taking part in the 'Start a Cottage Industry' forum as part of my 2008 set of challenges and you guys have been great by showing such enthusiasm for the papier mache animals. I'm trying to amuse a 3 year old and earn my income from home, but I had never even thought about making these for selling! LOL

whitewing

LOL! If you lived near enough, I'd buy two off you and pretend I made them!!

Frugaldom

whitewing wrote: »

nyk, sorry to be thick..I don't actually have an artistic bone in my body but we are on our third layer of papier mache (planning to do more than 4 layers): how do you shape the head of the cash cow and penguin? This is what I am told by DS that we are making, althou I could have managed the pig!

OH is helping paint it so not worried about that but shaping it is worrying me. Don't think I've ever built anything that hasn't gone in the bin!

Mine haven't got any particular shapes - the pig has a piece of egg carton for a snout, wherease the cow has the lid off a milk carton so it's nose was shorter. Cow legs are toilet roll tubes stuffed with paper to keep them fro collapsing and have milk carton tops taped across the end and the ears/tails etc are all just paper or cardboard (old Chrissie cards would do) painted to match. Cow horns are made from long strips of pasted paper rolled around and shaped then stuck on with long thin strips of papier mache before winding around and pasting over the top... they are a little bit dodgy trying to get them to stick, so use long thin strips right across the horn and stuck down both sides of each strip. I only ever do one splurge on the pasted paper and then dry it completely before painting it and then drying it again. I don't have any PVA glue or I'd have watered that down and used it as a final coat. Wonder what they do with the PVA empties? I could rinse them and collect the dregs!

Edited in - penguin's head is err.... let's just say I hurried up the grand daughter to finish her junior yoghurt 'cos the little carton was ideal! Can't remember what they were called, whatever they were, Co-op were doing a 6 pack for 99p and it wasn't Yoplait whatsitcalled... :rotfl: :rotfl:

Yes, I am that person! The one who says, "Come on, eat it all up, granny needs the carton for the penguin's head!"

wyebird

Awhhh. Last time I made a papier mache pig with my daughter, I was on maternity leave (DD is 20 now and the "baby" 15!)

whitewing

Thanks for the reply. Will raid the kitchen cupboards!

whitetigeress333

glad Im not the only one just starting theirs ...lol

In_Search_Of_Me

am on the way - 2 on the go but takes ages to dry!! Newspaper works best I dind and if you use wet pva (ie very thinned down) it also dries nice & hard!

whitetigeress333

spud30 wrote: »

Ohhh I love them all.

I'm going to try to make on without a balloon. Any tips

Using a 2ltr milk bottle for mine
didnt have any balloons....lol

bekkithedevil

This idea is so fantastic I am shamelessly bumping it so others can benefit from good old fashioned papier mache!

That, and I wanna play tomorrow night but I'm afraid I won't find this thread again!

Thanks OP!

Bekki x

spud30

Me and the kids made some this afternoon, we had a great time.

Anyone know how long these take to dry?