Paper Mache Recipe

I recently made a tree trunk for a church play.  While working on creating it I came across this recipe for paper mache, and I loved it, so I thought I would share.  I've used it a couple of times now and it makes a nice strong finish that sticks well.

Paper Mache
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups water (cold or warm)
1/2 cup white school glue
pinch of salt (important in humid climates to prevent mold)

Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk.  It should be a syrupy consistency and can be tinted.  Then tear newspaper strips about 1" to 1 1/2" wide and around 6" long.  Dip them in the paper mache, squeegee them off with your fingers and place in alternating directions on your object.  You can do several layers to make it strong.  I like to use brown craft paper because it is thicker than newspaper so you don't have to do as many layers for a strong finish.  Let it dry overnight.

If you need more detailed directions, just Google it.  There are even videos on how to do it.

Here are the photos of my projects that I used the paper mache on.  Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to take a photo of them before they are painted.

Don't ever be afraid to try paper mache.  It's really easy and a great project for kids too.