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Papel Mache
Papel Mache
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Nota: Si tiene una balanza de cocina, puede usar esta receta con medidas en
gramos .
¿Qué aspecto tiene cuando está seco?
Buena pregunta.
If you’d like to see what your sculpture might look like when you use this
recipe, I finished most of my sculpture and mask patterns with it, or with a
combination of this recipe and traditional paper strips and paste.
Yes, I do sometimes use both. The clay doesn’t like covering the sharp
edges of ears, and it’s easier to wind narrow strips of paper and paste
around long thin shapes. For everything else, I use paper mache clay or one
of the variations of this recipe.
But I wanted to sculpt, and paper mache was the only affordable option.
That’s why I created this original (and still my favorite) recipe for paper mache
clay.
It’s affordable.
It uses common ingredients that you can find at your local DIY store or
Walmart.
And it helps you create beautiful sculptures that you can be proud of.
This is not the kind of paper mache you made back in grade school!
I put this recipe for paper mache clay on this blog and on YouTube about ten
years ago. It has now been used by millions of people around the world, and
I get emails and comments every day from people who tell me they love it!
When it’s still in the bowl, it will last several days if you cover it tightly to keep
it from drying out. Put it in the fridge if you can’t use it again for a week or
two, because the organic materials in the recipe can attract mold while it’s
still wet. If you want it to last longer, put it in the freezer, and it will last
indefinitely.
Can you sand it?
Yes, but I almost never do. Paper mache clay dries really hard, and sanding
it is a pain in the rear. Plus, you need to wear a mask, because you don’t
want the fine powder in your lungs.
And you probably want to do it outside, because that fine dust will go all over
your house.
1. If you live in a humid environment and you worry about mold and
mildew, or if you’re allergic to gluten, check out the new recipe
for paper mache clay without flour. It takes another small appliance to
make it, but the final product works just as well as the original recipe
on this page.
2. If you like to create fine details, the way you might if you were using
real clay or polymer clay, try the silky-smooth air dry clay recipe. It uses
the same ingredients, plus corn starch, but there’s less paper in the
mix so it’s great for detailed textures and details. Many readers have
also used it in small silicone molds for jewelry, and they say it works
well. I haven’t tried that yet, myself, so do some experiments to see if
it works for you.
How to make paper mache clay:
You’ll need several large bowls, some measuring cups, a spoon and an
electric mixer.
The supplies you need for paper mache clay
are:
Elmer’s Glue-All, or any PVA glue. Most white glue will work. The Clear Glue
from the Elmer’s company also works.
Drywall joint compound – any brand except DAP. That brand doesn’t work
because it turns into rubber when mixed with glue.
I buy my joint compound at Walmart. It works great for this recipe, and it’s
much less expensive than most brands.
If you aren’t sure what joint compound is called in your country, click here.
Note: There is a warning on the joint compound container that says you
should wear a mask when you sand it because it contains silica. Silica is a
very hard mineral (most sand is made out of silica) and you don’t want the
fine powder in your lungs. I never sand paper mache clay myself, but if you
do, be sure to wear a mask. (You should wear a mask when you sand
anything!)
To make your paper mache clay smooth without sanding, watch this video.
White flour. The flour thickens the paper mache by soaking up the water. If
you can’t use the flour for any reason, you’ll want to use this variation of the
paper mache clay recipe instead.
Toilet paper. Any brand will work, so buy the cheapest brand you can find.
Some people use recycled paper that has been soaked in hot water and
then chopped up with an electric blender. I haven’t tried that myself because
I’m lazy and toilet paper is so much easier. But many people have told me
that it works.
Mineral oil (baby oil) or linseed oil – this is totally optional. The oil changes
the ‘feel’ of the paper mache clay while you’re working with it, but the recipe
works just fine without it. Don’t uses boiled linseed oil if children will be
helping you with your sculpture, because it contains chemicals.
Step 1: Soak and measure your paper.
The first thing we need to do is get our paper ready. We want about a cup
and a quarter of wet paper. You can use any cup to measure with – it
doesn’t have to be exact.
Put the paper in hot water to get it wet, and press it down into a measuring
cup until you have about a cup and a quarter of wet paper. Then put it back
in the hot water. You want all the paper fibers to be separated. Just swirl the
paper around with your fingers and the toilet paper will completely fall apart.
Step 2: Press out the water.
You want to press most of the water out of the paper, but you have to be really
careful that you don’t press out too much.
If you press out so much of the water that it’s almost dry, it won’t fall apart
when you run your mixer. You’ll end up with big globs and bumpy lumps in
your paper mache clay.
So go ahead and test it in your hand. Can you push it around and have it
come apart, even though most of the water has been pressed out? Then
you’re good to go.
Step 3: Add joint compound and glue to the
paper mache clay mixture.
Now you can add the drywall joint compound and glue, and start mixing.
A lot of people ask me, “Can you make paper mache clay without drywall
joint compound?” No, you can’t – this recipe requires the joint compound.
If you can’t find the joint compound in your country or if you don’t want to use
it, this site has projects that use the traditional paper mache mixture of
softened paper and paste.
Mix your paper, joint compound and glue for several minutes. You want the
mixer to tear all of the paper fibers apart so it’ll be nice and smooth.
Step 4: Add the flour.
You’re going to use the white flour to thicken the paper mache clay. The flour
soaks up the excess water in the mixture, and makes it easier to spread the
paper mache or create sculpted details.
The amount of flour you need depends on how you want to use your paper
mache clay, and how much water was left in the paper. Just keep adding
more until you get the consistency you want.
For instance, if you want a really thin layer like I use when I’m covering my
mask patterns, or when I want to create a hard solid surface with my first
layer, I’ll use a small amount of flour to make a really thin mixture of the
paper mache clay.
But when I want to add texture, or if I
want to actually sculpt with the paper mache clay like I did with my snowy
owl, then I’ll add more flour.
A note about the beaters: I add 1/2 cup of flour to start with, using the
standard beaters. When I need more flour, I’ll switch to the dough hooks.
My mixer didn’t come with the dough hooks, like this one does, but I use some
old ones I have from another mixer, and they fit.
If you don’t have the bread-mixing beaters, the paper mache clay has a
tendency to crawl up the standard beaters. The mixture will also become
very heavy, and could burn out the motor in a small mixer if you use the
standard beaters.
Almost any of the projects on this site can be made with paper mache clay.
You’ll find them all in the Art Library. There’s a link to that page at the top of
the site, so you can always come back to it. That’s also where you’ll find
other recipes, like the smooth air dry clay and the paper mache clay without
flour.
For a fast start on a project, choose one of my mask and sculpture patterns.
Any of the patterns can be used with either paper strips and paste or this
paper mache clay recipe.
Have fun!
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You might also like:
1. Alison
Jul 31, 2020 at 3:44 am
Hi Jonni, is this recipe waterproof? I’d like to make some fairie houses and
other sculptures for my garden, for the grand kids. Im in the uk too so not
sure if I can get all the same ingredients here.
Thanks, Alison
Reply
Jonni Good
Jul 31, 2020 at 10:02 am
Hi Alison. No, the recipe is not at all waterproof. For permanent outdoor
sculptures I don’t recommend using any kind of paper mache. Have you seen
my garden gnome videos?
Reply
2. Daniella
Jul 30, 2020 at 6:52 pm
Alguien que hable español y me pueda decir qué ingrediente es cuál, o por
qué se puede sustituir? Hay una masilla que le queda súper linda y fina para
las decoraciones
Reply
3. Cate Berthelet
Apr 25, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Hi Jonni, and thanks again for the helpful tips you gave me via email. Just
found this public spot so I’m sharing my problems and results for everyone
here. I just submitted my first completed project on the daily sculptor page.
Here is what I learned after making 2 batches:
For the first batch I used homemade glue and polyfilla powder because I did
not have enough PVA or drywall compound. I used newspaper pulp which I
had cut into tiny pieces and soaked for a few days, then used a hand
blender to mash smooth. The glue was a huge sticky mucky mess even after
I added about double the flour and also cornstarch. It was hard to work with
but I managed to cover a plastic water bottle and made a few small
embellishments for some napkin rings I am making. I forgot to refrigerate
though, and it went moldy. The texture however was quite smooth.
For the second batch I followed the recipe with the exception that I used
newspaper pulp instead of the tp. I was dismayed that it was again a huge
sticky mess. Jonni suggested that there was too much moisture and to add
flour or cornstarch. I opted for the cornstarch, but it remained very sticky. So
this is what I deduced:
The brand of PVA glue I used is a lot more viscious than Elmer’s or other
brands. I will be making more clay and will experiment with thinning out or
adding a bit less to the mixture.
When I want to use it I take some out of the container and dust with
cornstarch, then leave it to dry out for a while before using. I also sometimes
put a couple of drops of baby oil on my fingers before handling the clay.
Then, oddly enough, when I add to existing sculpture I join wet to dry with a
brush of homemade glue, then add water on my fingers and or with a brush
to shape and mold the wet clay, just as you would with traditional clay. The
clay is amazingly smooth and easier to work with this way. The oil does not
inhibit the clay from sticking to wet or dry clay, or to any surface.
I am making more clay today using white office paper mash which I have
squeezed more water out of, and I will post an update when it is ready.
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 26, 2020 at 11:41 am
Thanks, Cate! We can’t wait to see what you make next. 🙂
Reply
Cate Berthelet
Apr 29, 2020 at 11:13 pm
Hi Jonni,
My next experiment will be combining the paper maché clay with air dry clay.
I have some very small things I want to make to put in my Santa’s bag, and
ditto for my next snow-woman. Pics to follow!
Cate
Reply
4. Viviana Navarro
Apr 19, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Hi Jonni! Just wondering if the recipe would still work with Elmers school
glue? I realized I bought the wrong kind AFTER coming back home from the
store and would hate to wait in line again. Thanks!
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 19, 2020 at 4:26 pm
I’m not sure, Viviana. There is a way to find out, though – but you’d have to
use a little bit of the school glue in your experiment so you wouldn’t be able
to return it. To see if it works, mix about a tablespoon of the glue with an
equal amount of the joint compound. (Don’t bother to measure – the
amounts aren’t that important.) If the mixture works, it will be just a little
softer than the joint compound was when you started, like you’d expect. If
it doesn’t work, it will be thicker than you would expect, and might even get
thick or rubbery.
Good luck – and let us know what you found out.
Reply
5. Lark Pardee
Apr 17, 2020 at 5:09 pm
What if I don’t have any Joint Compound?
Reply
Lark Pardee
Apr 17, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Or the calcium chalk
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 17, 2020 at 5:58 pm
You can make the traditional paper pulp. Which is paper that’s been soaked
and then mixed to separate the fibers, and the water squeezed out. Add
some form of paste or glue, and mix again. It won’t be exactly like the paper
mache clay, but it’s been used for hundreds of years and many people enjoy
using it. You can find a lot of tutorials using the traditional paper pulp recipe
at http://www.papiermache.co.uk/
Reply
6. Lori
Apr 10, 2020 at 8:07 pm
My 14 year old son and I are going to attempt to use this recipe tomorrow to
create a sculpture of Gon from hunter x hunter for his freshman year art
project. We are creating the form first, then we will apply a few layers of
regular paper mache to bind everything together and get rid of seams. Then
once all that is dry we plan to go over the form with the clay recipe before
covering the statue with other mixed media. He has 6 weeks to work on it so
it’s not something we need to rush. We have to make a study form for this
character so that part is going to take a good chunk as I work full time as an
essential employee and can only work with him on the weekends and one
day a week during the week. Wish us luck.
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 10, 2020 at 8:33 pm
That sounds like an exciting project, and your son has a good plan in place. I
hope you both have fun with it. 🙂
Reply
Eileen
Apr 11, 2020 at 12:38 pm
What a great project! But where did you find the toilet paper these days?!
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 11, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Eileen, you don’t need tp for the clay recipe. See this new video. 🙂
Reply
7. Ryan Belli
Apr 6, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Hello!
I was wondering – can you use anything to add color to the paper mache
clay?
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 6, 2020 at 1:09 pm
I Ryan. I think any pigment could be added without causing problems, but
the drywall joint compound is white, so any colors added will become pastel.
The strongest colors might be the ones that you get at the DIY store for
coloring concrete, but I haven’t tried them yet. They don’t have many color
choices, though.
Reply
Ryan Belli
Apr 7, 2020 at 11:57 am
Thanks Jonni!!
The mixture seems to be taking a long time to dry and has a fluffy texture
(not hard as rock) do you think this was from too much water left in the toilet
paper?
All the best,
Ryan
Reply
Kandis Cooper
Apr 6, 2020 at 1:41 pm
I made the blue jacket for a Peter Rabbit by adding blue acrylic paint
Reply
Kris
May 10, 2020 at 12:35 am
I think acrylic paint is basically the same as PVA glue, so you could
potentially replace some of the glue With acrylic paint.
Reply
Jonni Good
May 10, 2020 at 10:59 am
It might be worth a try. If you experiment with it, please let us know if it
works.
Reply
8. Bonnie
Mar 22, 2020 at 4:39 pm
Hi Jonni,
I’m so excited to try your clay recipe! I am making a diorama for children to
work with. Your clay recipe is just what I need to make it look more
“realistic!” Question: Have you ever had any issues with any of your projects
molding over time using this recipe? Do you recommend adding salt for this
reason (someone else had recommended using salt to prevent mold- what’s
your opinion on this?)
Thanks so much!
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 22, 2020 at 5:01 pm
Hi Bonnie. If you make sure the pieces in your diorama dry as soon as
possible after you apply the paper mache clay, and then seal them with
acrylic varnish after painting them, you should get any mold. At least I never
have, and here in Minnesota it gets quite humid in the summer. I never add
salt.
Reply
9. Mackenzie
Mar 22, 2020 at 1:42 pm
Hi Jonni,
I absolutely LOVE this recipe and I am using it quite often now, including on
a relatively big project that I am in the middle of. Unfortunately with the
Covid-19 pandemic, toilet paper is in limited supply. I really want to keep
crafting while we are on lock down, is there another type of paper pulp I
could use? Maybe tissue paper from gift wrapping?
Thank you so much for this recipe, your awesome site, and any suggestions
you could make now!
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 22, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Hi Mackenzie. I think all of us will be using recycled paper instead of TP, at
least until things get back to normal. Newspaper would probably work just as
well as gift wrapping. If you soak it long enough and then run it through a
blender (with plenty of water) the fibers will come apart. Many people have
always used the recipe with recycled paper, and I’ve tried it, too. As long as
you’re patient and make sure to mix long enough so the fibers are evenly
distributed, it works just as well as TP. It’s just a little more work.
I hope we can see some of the things you’ve made. You can show them off
on the Daily Sculptors page. 🙂
Reply
Mackenzie
Mar 22, 2020 at 3:39 pm
Thank you Jonni, I will give that a try! I also plan to post photos as soon as
I’ve completed the project. I have made a mask using one of your patterns
as well, I’ll post that too.
Reply
Jude
Apr 2, 2020 at 2:51 am
During this difficult time if the Pandemic – and being under lockdown.
– we experiment? We can only buy food and medicines not even glue. Try
soaking cardboard egg boxes. It takes longer to brake down but works very
well. I use my husbands drill with a paint mixing fitting. And it helps to break
it down into small fine pieces. Good Luck. Jude South Africa
Reply
Jonni Good
Apr 2, 2020 at 11:10 am
Great tip, Jude. Thanks!
Reply
10. karen
Mar 9, 2020 at 6:04 pm
would this work
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 9, 2020 at 6:35 pm
I havne’t tried any blue joint compound. I didn’t even know there was such a
thing. But it will probably work because it doesn’t look like it’s made by the
DAP company. I don’t know for sure, though – you’d need to try it. Do they
have a small quantity you could get to test? I buy my drywall joint compound
at Walmart, often in the quart-sized containers. It’s cheap, and it works just
fine.
Reply
11. Linda S
Mar 7, 2020 at 2:56 pm
Would like to use this for ‘seed bombs’ which would need to degrade in
damp environment. Others recommend using dry potter’s clay in the mixture
but it makes the balls too solid, they don’t degrade quickly enough to release
the seeds for sprouting.
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 7, 2020 at 3:06 pm
This recipe creates a material that dries as hard as a rock. It will eventually
degrade in water, but it takes a very long time, and the ingredients are not
organic. I can’t think of any way to change this recipe to make it melt faster
in water. I think clay is the best thing to use. Even though it takes time to turn
back into mud, it is actual mud and shouldn’t hurt the baby plants. Or you
might add some compost or dried cow manure to the clay to loosen it up and
help it disintegrate faster, while adding nutrients to the soil.
Reply
Karen Hettenbaugh
May 2, 2020 at 10:14 am
I am interested if you have a trick to making a hollow statue. Could I do a foil
armature armature and after it dries, pull the foil out?
Reply
Jonni Good
May 2, 2020 at 1:55 pm
Yes, you can. I’ve made several hollow sculptures, but so far I’ve used a
layer of plaster cloth first, then cut it in half, remove the “innards,” and then
put it back together with more plaster cloth. Then I finish the sculpture with
the paper mache clay. I don’t know if one has to do that or not, but the paper
mache clay dries as hard as a rock. I think it would be difficult to cut it apart.
That’s how I made my rhino – you can see me cutting the poor beast in half in
this video.
One comment about the foil – once it’s crumpled tight and glued together,
it’s pretty hard to pull it apart. You might want to use something softer on the
inside, like crumpled paper, and use the foil for the final sculpting. A thinner
layer of foil will be easier to pull out than a solid lump of foil.
Reply
12. Karen
Mar 6, 2020 at 7:45 pm
Can this mixture be used in a silicone mold
Love your site
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 7, 2020 at 10:51 am
It can be, but it doesn’t work very well. The paper in the mix prevents it from
making a nice casting. The Silky-Smooth Air Dry Clay recipe works better,
according to quite a few of my readers.
Reply
Karen
Mar 9, 2020 at 9:37 pm
Thank you and love your kindness and sharing
Reply
Faith Sgagias
Mar 23, 2020 at 9:55 pm
I would like to make a line design with paper clay using a squeeze bottle. To
compare, it’s like making a design out of chocolate drizzle for a cake
decoration on wax paper. Can I use this recipe for something like this? What
should I apply it to so that I can lift it off when it is dry? Thank you. I love
your site and amazing talent!
Reply
Jonni Good
Mar 24, 2020 at 10:14 am
I don’t know if this recipe would work for that or not. It’s intended to be used
in a thin layer over an armature, so it could crack if it’s made into very thin
lines without support. It also won’t ‘drizzle’ unless you make it a lot thinner
than the usual recipe, perhaps by adding more glue and leaving out the
flour. But then it wouldn’t hold its shape… You’d need to try it to see if you
can get the result you want. If you put in on waxed paper it should come off
when dry.
Reply
13. Alison Stachera
Feb 25, 2020 at 1:06 pm
Hi! I’m planning to make this today, and had a question about the “premixed”
joint compound. My understanding is that the premixed kind is already wet,
but in the photos, it looks like powder. Could you clarify which to use? Thank
you!
Reply
Jonni Good
Feb 25, 2020 at 2:20 pm
Hi Alison. The only powder we use is the while flour. The drywall joint
compound is the kind that’s wet, and comes in a plastic tub. The powdered
kind contains plaster of Paris, and could cause the mixture to set up too
quickly. Have fun!
Reply
Alison Stachera
Feb 25, 2020 at 2:21 pm
Thank you!
Reply
14. Opal
Feb 24, 2020 at 12:28 am
H? Jonni! Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of talent! About how long
does this recipe need to dry and be ready for paint?
Reply
Jonni Good
Feb 24, 2020 at 10:53 am
Opal, it’s really hard to say because it depends on how thickly it was applied,
the temperature and humidity in the air… You will need to give it at least two
days, though, because it will feel dry on the outside before the inside is
totally dry, and you don’t want to trap moisture inside with your paint. You
can tell if it’s dry all the way through by pressing on it. If there’s absolutely no
‘give’ at all, it should be dry enough for you to paint.
Reply
15. Sarah
Feb 13, 2020 at 4:10 pm
Any suggestions on how I could make an octopus for my daughter?
Reply
Jonni Good
Feb 13, 2020 at 4:12 pm
Hi Sarah. Cindy wrote a guest post to show us how she made her
octopus. You can see it here. And Maggie showed us a few steps in making
her octopus. You can see her post here.
Have fun!
Reply
16. Lacy Curtner
Feb 6, 2020 at 5:43 pm
Just wondering how you do clean up….I live in an apartment, so I’m not so
sure about rinsing glue and compound down the sink.
Reply
Jonni Good
Feb 7, 2020 at 8:16 am
Hi Lacy. I scrape the left-over clay into the garbage, and use a paper towel
to get any that didn’t come out easily. Then I just wash up with soap and
water.
Reply
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