Papier mâché is a fun and creative activity that little ones are sure to love. It's super easy to make cute papier mâché animals, no matter whether bunnies, sheep, cats, chickens, or penguins! Looking for all the neccessary kit? You'll be surprised to learn that you'll find almost everything required in your house already, however what's not there can easily be sourced here at The Range.
As with any craft project - prepare to get messy! A key factor of fun, be sure to clear some space by either laying down a durable table covering or layers of newspaper. Designed to help keep surfaces protected from accidental spills and leakages, this is a fool-proof way to help keep an eye on your budding artists. Ready to dive right into your next crafting project? Here are all the essentials you'll need to pull-off the your own picture-perfect papier mâché animal!
The safest paste and most fun for kids is simply to mix flour and water in a bowl – start with 5 cups of water to ¼ cup of flour. You want your paste to be more like white glue than pancake batter. If you use a hand blender to get all the lumps out, wash it immediately because the paste will dry very hard – good for papier mâché, not good for washing up! If you have any left over at the end, throw it away, it doesn’t keep. You can use watered down glue or wallpaper paste, but only once you're sure the kids won't lick sticky fingers.
2. Tear the newspaper into strips, about an inch wide and 4 inches long. Newspaper has a grain, so you’ll want to tear with the grain.
3. Blow up a balloon and start layering the strips of newspaper on it. Paste the paper both sides with a paintbrush and smooth down one at a time to remove air bubbles. Leave the knot of the balloon visible. Do three layers, then brush over with the paste and leave it to dry completely before adding more layers (if you want to).
4. Pop the balloon and carefully widen the hole using the scissors. Remove the balloon then use a funnel to pour a little sand inside, just enough for your animal to balance upright. Papier mâché over the hole and leave to dry.
5. Draw on the cardboard and cut out ears, front and back legs, wings, beak etc., not forgetting to draw some details, say toes or feathers. Use masking tape to attach them to the balloon then paint the whole thing with acrylic paint.
6. You can decide what colour to paint your animal. Attach googly eyes or buttons, or just draw the eyes. Use cotton wool for fur and tails, and black strips of cardboards for whiskers! Glue some pink ovals to the ears and add a cute nose.
Super easy and exciting, papier mâché is a wonderful way to keep your youngsters creatively entertained. Have a look at our Summer Craft Ideas for Children for more top tips and inspiration.
