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What Are the Different Types of Paper Mache Projects?
There are many different types of paper mache projects a person can do, and most people choose projects based on their interests or what items they want to make. Some of the most common projects are those that make a small sculpture of an object. These can be anything from small animal sculptures and models of vehicles to piñatas and even dioramas. Other paper mache projects are often used to create wearable pieces of paper mache art, including masks, pieces of wearable armor, paper mache weapons, and similar types of equipment or garments.
Paper mache projects generally refer to different types of items that can be created using various techniques. These techniques usually involve the creation of a paper mache paste, which can be made by combining glue with water or even mixing together a proper amount of water and flour. Once this paste is made, then torn sheets of paper, often newspaper, are covered in the paste and layered together on an object and shaped to create a sculpture. These paper mache projects can then be painted using poster paint or other types of paint to resemble the object they are styled after.
Some of the most common paper mache projects involve the creation of sculptures or similar objects. Animals, for example, are commonly made using paper mache, often forming the base of the animal with balls of newspaper or other objects and then layering that form in paper mache. Similarly, small models of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, and space ships, can easily be made using paper mache and are an affordable way to create toys with kids who can then play with them.
Other common paper mache projects include piñatas, which can easily be made and filled with candy or other items. Dioramas are also easy to make using paper mache. These can be created for school projects or even as environments for children to use when playing with dolls or action figures.
There are also a number of paper mache projects that can be created as wearable pieces of art. Anything from pieces of armor to masks and helmets can easily be created using paper mache. These are advantageous since they can be formed to fit a particular person and are lightweight for easy use in play or as a costume. Paper mache weapons can also easily be made, completing a suit of armor, though these weapons can be quite hard and should not be used to hit other people.
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![Old newspaper is often used to make paper mache.]()
By: stocksolutionsOld newspaper is often used to make paper mache.
Discussion Comments
A lot of the paper mache project ideas I have done with kids over the years have used a light bulb to wrap the paper mache around.
Around Christmas time we have made snowmen, a Santa face and reindeer using paper mache and light bulbs.
For a school project my son made an erupting volcano using paper mache. First he made his volcano and made sure it was good and dry.
Once that was done, he filled the hole in the top of the volcano with some water, dish soap, food coloring, baking soda and vinegar.
All of these ingredients mixed together caused a red, bubbly eruption from the top of the paper mache volcano. It was a lot of fun for him to make and experiment with, and everyone enjoyed watching it erupt!
At our house we like to make paper mache Easter eggs. These are simple and inexpensive to make and are a lot of fun to paint.
This is something I have found people of all ages enjoy doing. Of course the younger kids enjoy it, but my older kids and even my sisters and I look forward to doing this project together.
Yes, this gets pretty messy, but we make sure we are dressed for it and have our work space well covered.
We blow up balloons and put our strips of newspapers dipped in paste over the balloons. We usually cover them with at least three layers and once they are dry, will pop the balloon and put candy or small items inside the eggs.
We have made some pretty elaborate paper mache Easter eggs, and sometimes even add crepe paper streamers or decorate them with pastel tissue paper.
There are a lot of great paper mache ideas you can find in books and online. You usually have everything you need on hand, so this can be a fun way to keep the kids busy on a rainy day.
I think one of the most common paper mache projects for kids is making a pinata. This has become somewhat of a tradition in our house when it comes to birthday's.
All of my kids love having a pinata at their birthday party, and part of the fun is designing and making their own pinata.
They have come up with some interesting animal shapes through the years, but this is something all of them look forward to.
When we make our paper mache projects we either do this outside in the garage, or I put a big sheet down in the house so I don't have to worry about the paste making a mess on the floor.
Once the pinata is done and dry, they love filling it up with candy and can hardly wait until the day of their party.
People usually think of paper mache art projects as something sloppy that only kids do. But there are a number of famous artists that have taken the use of paper mache to new levels.
They are able to achieve incredible feats of recreation. People's faces have been produced with almost photo realistic similarity. They also have used paper mache to create intricate patterns, abstract sculptures, and geometric curiosities. The benefits of paper mache are the same to a famous artist as they are to a 7 year old. It's cheap, versatile and unexplored.
Paper mache projects are one of the best crafts for kids. There are so many fun projects that you can do with some very cheap and easy materials that kids can really let their imaginations go wild when using paper mache.
I was an elementary art teacher for almost 20 years and I can't tell you how many paper mache projects we did over the years. I also can't tell you how many of them were delightful. Kids really respond to this material and it gets their creativity flowing in a way that other things don't.
A friedn of mine has been working on a series of really interesting paper machee projects. He covers inflated balloons in paper mache. Once he has several layers and everything has hardened he pops the balloon and cuts the resulting paper mache cavity in half.
Now he has a shape that is approximately the same size as the human face. It is the perfect foundation for making masks. You can cut out weird shaped holes, glues stuff to the outside, paint or draw, the possibilities are endless.
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