Creating a paper mache animal like this dachshund with kids is pretty fun and exciting to do with kids. It can be messy but I can assure you that the anticipation of the end result would bring a lot of fun in the household.
The process of paper mache I used in this project uses paper strips glued together with adhesive, while the other method uses paper pulp obtained by soaking or boiling paper to which glue is then added.
Materials I used to make paper mache animal:
- Old paper brown bags or newspaper (for the structure)
- Old calendar papers or newspaper cut into strips (for layers)
- DIY Starch Glue or Paste (in this project I use rice glue)
- Tape to secure the structure
- Scissors
- Acrylic paint
Stage 1: Molding the Animal Paper Mache
First you need to have the structure of the object you want to make. It would be helpful if you can look up images of the object you want to copy to give a perspective of the shape and dimensions. Scrunching the paper helps you to create the shaped you want to achieve. I use a tape to patch the parts together. It doesn’t matter at this point if your structure is wobbly because once you layer out the strips of paper with the adhesive it will form a solid hard surface later on.
Stage 2: Layering
Now that you have your structure you’re now ready to layer the paper strips. Dip the entire paper strips into your homemade adhesive starch then lay it on your structure. Cover the entire model with one layer of paper strip then let it dry completely. You can decide how many layer of paper strip you want based on how the model is holding up. In my experience I did 3 layers for this dachshund figure. It was already holding its structure at 3 layers so I decided to stop at that point.
Stage 3: Drying
Once you completed the layering, let the paper mache dry completely for at least a day. The end product should have a hard solid
Stage 4: Coloring
Moving on to the fun part! Painting the figure. Since I don’t have any acrylic paint on hand I just search around the house of what I can use. I found an old dark brown spray paint. Ideally I would like a lighter color of brown to match the color of my dogs but this was all I have so I cave in and used it.
I hope this article helped you in making your own paper mache. Do share your own projects on social media using #JoyinCrafting so I can see your paper mache too.
