Papier-mâché often conjures up childhood images: newspaper strips covering a balloon, goop clinging to your hands. As an art teacher, I don’t have to tell you that papier-mâché requires you to have your A-game on. You can’t wing it; you must prepare and think through everything. What type of paper mache recipe will you use? Do you have any gluten-intolerant students? Where are you going to store the projects? How do you keep paper mache from entering the drains and so on? Stay tuned and learn the best tips and tricks from your art teacher peers.
- Collect Newspapers or Alternatives!
Newspapers aren’t as easy to come by these days. Check with your school and local libraries to see if they can donate theirs when they’re finished. Ask your local town newspaper if they would donate end rolls of newsprint. Ask your staff to donate theirs instead of putting it out on recycling day! And if you still come up short, magazines, newsprint, scrap paper, rejected copies from the copy room, and packing paper are all good alternatives. - Alternate Layers
To make papier-mâché strong, you need several layers. Unfortunately, it’s easy to lose track. So, have your students alternate the types of papers they use. If you use newspaper for one layer, use brown paper towels for the second layer. This takes the guesswork out of layering the papier-mâché, and it’s very visual. - Gloves and Smocks
Keep some gloves around. Some students will always react to the gloopy or slimy texture of papier-mâché with a litany of complaints. Some students have sensory issues. Then there are prima donnas, girls with perfectly manicured fingers, and perfectionists who dislike messy projects. Having gloves (keep in mind if anyone has a latex allergy, not just for the gloves but balloons for armatures as well) and smocks to hand out can mitigate a lot of complaints. Also, use warm water when mixing up the papier-mâché to help; it’s generally more pleasant to work with. - What tools?
Mix the papier-mâché with an immersion blender or whisk if it is chunky. Or, break out your electric drill and use a paint mixer attachment to mix a large batch up. - Drying
Have students papier-mâché one side at a time so the projects can rest on the dry side. Another option is to have students rest their projects on the rim of a plastic deli container or wide plastic cups. This creates a base for the project but also has minimal contact with it so that it can pop off easily the next day. - Keep track of each period.
One clever teacher uses colored yarn (different colors for each class) to tie to the balloons so they can be hung up to dry. - Consider your last layer.
Another teacher collects the paper covering the reams of copy paper to use for the final layer. Making your last layer using white paper will help when you move to paint, as it keeps the newspaper imagery from being visible through the paint. If your layer isn’t white, it’s best to paint a layer or two of gesso. Gesso is used before painting paper mache to prime the surface, making it smoother and less absorbent, which helps the paint adhere better. - Demonstrate the squeegee technique.
You MUST demonstrate to students how to dip the paper mache and then use your fingers to squeegee off the excess papier-mâché. Stress this is good craftsmanship. - Clean up
Consider lining the bowls in which you mix your per-mâché mixture with plastic trash bags for easy cleanup. - What’s the weather?
If possible, papier-mâché during your dryer month, as mold is less likely. If you try to keep many wheat papier-mâché recipes, they will smell pretty quickly. Try to use up what you mix or save it in a refrigerator. Remember that saving in a fridge will slow the process and buy you some time, not stop it completely. - Lotion
Take a large-sized bottle of lotion to school and share it with the students after they clean up. Your students will be so grateful. Papier-mâché dries out your hands so quickly. - Protect your tables
Use a vinyl tablecloth cover. This will help speed up clean-up time. But do hose them down. Or even better, go outside in nice weather. - Make an armature.
Newspaper, tape, and balloons are classic armature materials. But raid your recyclables—egg cartons, aluminum foil, boxes, cans, and more are all fair game. Keep it light! - Speed up drying time.
The project must have time to dry. Point a fan at the projects to speed up drying times. A hair dryer, a great multipurpose tool for the art room, can also help dry a particularly thick area. - Seal
To help projects last longer, seal with an acrylic spray (but be careful of going light if you use tempera or other water-soluble paints so they won’t run). - Think Sink
Don’t put any of the paste down the sink! Train your students to toss it in the garbage and wipe their hands on a paper towel to remove most of it before washing up. - Alternate
Alternate the direction of the papier-mâchéd strips run. This will make it stronger. - Have some Fun!
Make it fun. Ham it up. Laugh. You are making memories. One middle teacher called the papier-mâchéd mixture “Dragon Snot,” and others took pictures of the student’s reactions to the papier-mâchéd for everyone to laugh at later.
Do you have a tip that I didn’t cover? If so, share in the comments!
