Tip

Handy sealant tips

What is more fun than making your own toys or decorations! This is possible with papier maché. So pimp up your pirate outfit and papier maché a parrot. Or make a shield for your medieval knight’s outfit. Or a magic wand for your princess dress. Or a nice ornament for the windowsill. Or...

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

Materials:

  • Protection: the easiest is to use a bin bag that is cut open to cover the floor. 
  • A mould. If you want to be a knight, for example, first make a sword or a shield mould from chicken wire. If you want to make a mask, blow up a balloon that is bigger than your head. That’s because your head must be able to fit inside the mask. 
  • Some old newspapers torn into pieces or strips. 
  • You can use Bison Wallpaper Paste Special. You first have to mix this with water. And furthermore, you need a bucket and a stirrer. 
  • Hands: although it seems neater to work with a brush, you’ll find out that it’s more fun working with your hands. - If you’re making a mask: a knife to pierce the balloon and to make the hole for your head. 
  • Paint for finishing it off.



Action plan:

Begin by laying the pieces or strips of newspaper on the prepared bin bag and give them a good coating with wallpaper paste (you can also do this with your hands).

Stick the pasted newspaper pieces criss-cross and overlapping around the mould until the entire mould is covered with wet newspaper.

Allow your object to dry for a couple of hours and repeat the previous step a few more times.

Once the object has enough layers and is strong enough, allow everything to completely dry. Your mask or object is now hard.

If you're making a mask, now is the time to burst the balloon and cut out the hole for your head with a small, sharp knife, such as a Stanley knife.

Finish the rest off with paint, and your unique self-made mask (or sword, shield, decoration, or whatever) is ready.