Papier Mache Recipes

Several of our favorite papier mache recipes. We have ranked the recipes out of five stars.

By Andrea Mulder-Slater

PAPIER MACHE PASTE RECIPES

1. A simple mixture of flour and water will work quite nicely. Mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a paste that looks like yogurt. Add more water or flour as needed. Mix well to get out all the lumps. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt (this prevents mold). (* * * *)
2. For 1 to 1-1/2 cups of papier mache paste, mix together one cup of flour with 1 cup of water. Keeping adding more water (about three (3) cups) and mix until all the lumps are gone. Bring to a boil in a saucepan and cool completely. (* * *)
3. Yet another paste recipe calls for 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 cups cold water, 2 cups boiling water and 3 tbsp. sugar. Mix the flour and the cold water. Add that mixture to boiling water and allow it to return to a boil. Remove from heat and add the sugar. Let the entire mix cool and thicken. Once the mixture cools, it is ready to use. (* * * * *)
4. For a QUICK and EASY paper mache paste, simply pick up a box of powdered wallpaper paste (look for the non-toxic label) and add water according to the directions on the box. Adding a squirt or two of white glue is a good idea. (* * * * *)

For projects that require strips, tear newspaper into long thin strips. Dip the paper into any of the paste mixtures above and scrape the excess off with fingers. Layer the paste covered strips onto your project.

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PAPIER MACHE PULP RECIPES

1. 1. Make papier mache pulp by placing several sheets of junk mail, toilet tissue, paper towel or newspaper (torn into tiny pieces) into a blender or food processor with some water.
      Strain the pulp using a colander or sieve. Mix the pulp with one tablespoon or more of white glue. (* * * * *)

OR

1. Take shredded paper or newspaper, 1 quart of hot water, a microwave safe bowl, spoon, colander or wire strainer, 1 cup of wallpaper paste or one cup of white glue or a 1 cup water/1 cup flour mixture.Put the pieces of torn or shredded paper into the bowl until the bowl is almost full. Slowly pour the hot water over the paper, stirring constantly. When the paper is soaked, it should be just covered with water. Put the bowl into the microwave oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove and let stand. Repeat every hour for about 5 hours. Using a wire strainer, squeeze the excess water out of the pulp, making sure to leave just a bit of water. Add the glue or wallpaper paste to the mixture and mix well. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. (* * * *)You can also do this using a pot on a stove. In that case, bring the mixture to a boil in a pot and let sit for a few hours until paper starts to disintegrate. Using a wire strainer, squeeze the excess water out of the pulp, making sure to leave just a bit of water. Add the glue or wallpaper paste to the mixture and mix well. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.