Q&A for How to Create Papier Mâché

Yes! Wait for everything to dry first, then cut cardboard into some ear shapes, and tape it onto the "body." Cover it with more paper mache, and wait for it to dry. You can do the same with the tail, or use string instead.

Drying time depends on the thickness of the paper and paste, but most projects are dry within a few hours.

The salt stops mold from growing, so it's a useful ingredient.

Pop the balloon after the paper mixture has dried onto the balloon. Remove any broken parts of the balloon that might be sticking to your project with a craft knife. If you can't grab the popped balloon with your fingers, use a knitting needle or similar item to capture it and pull it out. Or, just leave it in there if it's not a problem to do so.

The mixture might be too thick or too thin. If it's too thin or thick, adjust accordingly. Add more adhesive base if it's too thin, and more water if it's too thick.

This depends on room temperature, thickness of the layers, and how liquid-y your glue was. Consider putting your project above a heater or in the sun; this will speed up the drying process considerably.

If you use a box, you would not be able to remove it properly or at all. If that fits with your design needs, then by all means use a box or other container. On the other hand, if you want the design to be lightweight and easy to hang, then it needs to be made with a balloon.

Yes, but consider wrapping the bowl with plastic wrap, or coating it with non-stick cooking spray first. This will make it easier to remove once everything dries.

No. Cloth strips are not smooth enough to paint over, and if you do, the paint will lump onto the cloth.

Yes - you just need some type of base. You could use cardboard for example, anything you can stick the Papier Mache to.

Make about five to six layers; in between the third and fourth layer, use am exacto or craft knife and cut it to remove the balloon. Then do a few more layers to be safe and, when finished, add hairspray when you are finished painting.

Dip a strip of newspaper into the mixture. Then apply the newspaper to the model base. More paste can be added once the newspaper is on the model/mold, if needed.

Use acrylic paint.

That depends on the consistency of your paste. But for most projects, it's a few hours.

Three layers should suffice.

If it is still wet, it will still be flimsy and hard to handle or paint. And if you are doing a sculpture, it may collapse.

2 part are equal to 1 cup. In other words, divide the number of parts by 2 to get the number of cups needed to correspond to the given instructions.

You don't have to, but you can if you want to. Instead of using white paper, consider painting over your project with a few layers of primer or gesso first. This will make your surface a nice, crisp white. It will also make it smoother.

Yes, you can apply papier mache to wood.

You can try to use an entire piece of paper instead of going strip by strip, but it wouldn't be as smooth. It just depends on how much you care about the way it looks.

Yes; you can use any other thin paper, such as tissue paper. You can also use regular paper for the final layer.

Cooking oil prevents things from sticking, like a non-stick property. Spraying the balloon would give the balloon a non-stick property, so the newspaper doesn't not stick to the balloon. This is an optional step, but it certainly makes things easier.

You'll have to soak the newspaper in water for some time. After that, you'll have to add a bowl of already prepared starch to the soaked newspaper without draining it and shape away!

Make a cut to separate the two pieces using something like an X-Acto knife. Then attach the two parts at the pivot point by gluing either cloth strips or a hinge to the movable parts. Once that is attached, you can paint the project as you see fit.

Yes. Once it's dry, the adhesive shouldn't matter. It should just harden on top of that as well.

Yes, you can.

Get as many newspapers as you can. Scrunch up pages into balls and start building a structure by binding the rolls together using masking tape (you can papier mâché over masking tape). It wouldn't be as light as a balloon, but would definitely retain a good shape.

For something like that, you'd be better off just using Mod Podge, which is designed for that sort of thing.

Yes, if you prefer it unpainted.