DIY papier-mâché figurines

The French technique of papier-mâché needlework is simple to perform and accessible, but it requires perseverance and time. Therefore, before you start creating crafts, you need to arm yourself with patience. And then you can make a carnival mask, home decor elements and even New Year's decorations with your own hands.

In order to create a papier-mâché craft, you need the following consumables:

• napkins;
• toilet paper;
• unnecessary newspapers;
• any cardboard;
• egg trays.

In addition, you need to prepare any adhesive base - most often it is paste and PVA. Also for work you need to prepare:

• brushes - to apply glue and paint crafts;
• petroleum jelly / petroleum jelly - for wetting the base, from which the cast blank will be formed;
• kitchen blender - for mixing paper pulp;
• oilcloth - they cover the table with it so as not to stain the workplace.

There are two main ways to create papier-mâché. The first involves the phased gluing of small pieces of paper in several layers, the second - sculpting figures from the so-called paper dough.

Let's dwell on the features of different techniques.

The paper is crushed into pieces of 1.5x1.5 cm. It is best to take soft paper - newspapers or napkins. You need to tear it with your hands, it is undesirable to use scissors, since in this case the edges of the paper will be too dense, and it will be difficult to align them on a dried product.

The base is greased with glue and covered with paper. After that, they are again coated with glue and another layer of paper is applied. In this way, from 3 to 10 layers are performed. Keep in mind that after applying 2-3 layers, it is imperative to let them dry and only then continue to work.

The figure is dried for about two days at a room temperature of 20-24 degrees. Many make a mistake and dry the workpiece near radiators or in the sun - in this case, the papier-mâché surface becomes cracked and warped.

White paper is used to finish the very last layer, it will be easier to decorate.

The peculiarity of creating crafts using this technique is that the product is sculpted without using forms for this. With this approach, you can use any type of cardboard and paper, from newspaper sheets to cardboard boxes. The material is crushed, poured with boiling water and soaked. The finished mass is scrolled with a blender, squeezed thoroughly and mixed with glue.

During the preparation process, the sculpting mass softens and becomes homogeneous. At the same time, the appearance of the finished craft and its durability directly depend on its stickiness parameters. To increase the stickiness and plasticity, glue components are added to the mass. Experienced craftsmen add a small amount of alabaster or chalk - this makes the surface hard and smooth. However, such mixtures should be handled immediately after preparation.

Three types of crafts are prepared from the cardboard mass:

• hollow;
• items with a frame;
• frameless.

Samples are used to create a hollow shape. A sticky mass is spread on them, and after it dries, the base and the finished craft are separated. When creating products of the second type, you can take plastic containers, wire or cardboard as frames. Frameless are formed by the type of modeling from clay or plasticine. Such figures are dried for about a week, while the air temperature and humidity level should be constantly moderate.

A very beautiful fruit plate is obtained from the pulp. To do it yourself you will need:

• newsprint;
• white paper;
• glue;
• petrolatum;
• water;
• dye;
• varnish.

Any dinner plate will work as a base.

Sequencing:

• the paper is torn into small pieces and left to soak in a bowl of water;
• vaseline oil or petroleum jelly is applied to the plate, if they are absent, vegetable oil will do;
• a layer of pieces of damp paper is laid on the prepared surface and covered with glue;
• lay out the next layer of paper and leave to dry;
• in total you need to complete 10-11 layers;
• the workpiece is left to dry for a day;
• the finished product is separated from the plate and pasted over with two or three layers of light paper.

The plate is ready - all that remains is to dry it, paint with gouache and varnish. Such plates, decorated using decoupage technique, look very stylish.

It is easy to make an unusual flower vase from papier-mâché. You can use any of the techniques - both waving and sculpting. If the product is hollow, then it is better to give preference to pasting with pieces of paper. If you are going to get a vase without interior space, it makes sense to turn to sculpting.

The sequence of actions when sculpting a vase:

• egg containers are poured with water and a wet mass is formed;
• soaked for an hour, then leveled with a blender, squeezed, introduce 2 tsp. PVA and 10 tbsp. l. paste;
• from the resulting sticky mass, two balls of different sizes are formed so that one is 3-4 times larger than the other, the large one will go to create the base of the vase, from the second we will sculpt the neck;
• the workpieces are connected, a little paper dough is added so that the transition lines are smooth;
• a layer of gypsum or putty is applied and dried;
• the finished products are decorated to your liking.

The sequence of actions in the marching technique:

• to begin with, they are preparing a model that will be used as a basis, keep in mind that the form should be simple, it will be difficult to remove the finished product from the basis;
• so that the surface of the base does not deteriorate, before work it must be wrapped with cling film, placed with the neck down and smeared with petroleum jelly;
• then you will need pieces of thin paper, they are soaked and glued to the film, drying each layer well, about 10 layers in total will be needed;
• the finished craft is dried for about a day.

If the base has a complex shape, the papier-mâché layer will have to be cut along the entire product and several more layers applied in order for the product to acquire integrity.

You can form a ring by different methods - and by sculpting and waving. In any case, you should prepare a dense sheet of glued pieces of paper or paper dough and dry thoroughly until the substance becomes solid. A circle is cut out of this blank.

Putty is applied to the craft. When it dries, all that remains is to form a few holes and fix threads with decorative elements and bells on them.

The papier-mâché technique has become widespread in the creation of Christmas and New Year crafts. It allows you to create ornaments in the style of "attic", they resemble old toys with which our grandparents used to decorate the Christmas trees. The technique of work directly depends on how massive you want to get the craft.

If you need a light Christmas tree ball - turn to waving:

• inflate a balloon or prepare any other base blank, wrap it with cling film or lubricate with petroleum jelly;
• tear the paper into small pieces and place in a bowl of water;
• while the paper is soaking, cook the paste at the rate of 2 tablespoons of flour per 1 liter. water;
• glue the paper to the model in several layers, each must be carefully coated with glue and dried, in total 8-10 layers will be needed;
• cover the finished product with putty and decorate to your liking.

Hand-made Christmas toys carry a warmth that is so lacking in modern New Year's products from the store. This technique gives a vintage and antiquity effect, thanks to which you can bring into the house the atmosphere of a real holiday, evoking associations with a carefree childhood.

Papier-mâché can be used to make a Christmas wreath; it consists of flowers and spruce branches, which are fixed on a hollow ring.

The master class includes several steps:

• the cardboard is torn into small pieces and poured with boiling water, after which it is left for a day;
• the resulting mass is ground in a blender, squeezed out, all excess liquid is drained and PVA is added;
• the resulting mass is rolled out on a flat board;
• then take a plate with a diameter of 30-40 cm, spread it on a cardboard mass and circle it, cutting out a circle with a sharp knife;
• after that, you need to take another plate of a smaller diameter, place it inside the circle and also cut it along the contour, the resulting ring is left until it is completely dry;
• while the base dries, you need to prepare small flowers, for this, a balloon with a diameter of 10-15 cm is inflated and pasted over with pieces of paper using PVA, in total 3-5 layers need to be formed;
• when the ball dries, it is cut into two halves and painted in blue, yellow, red colors; if you wish, you can decorate future petals with glitter;
• then you need to cut out small circles with a diameter of 7-8 cm from cardboard and glue the halves of the ball on them so that you get a flower;
• in the end, you can proceed to assembling the wreath, start work by fixing spruce branches, they can be alive or artificial, after which flowers, ribbons and snowflakes are glued.

You can also make a carnival mask from papier-mâché. The sequence of actions in this case includes several steps.

1. To begin with, on thick paper, you need to make an accurate sketch on a scale of 1 to 1. It is cut out along the contour and a template is obtained, and then with its help the contours of the mask are outlined on a plywood board.
2. Styrofoam bars are placed in the center of the future model. They should not protrude beyond the edges of the workpiece - this will save plasticine.
3. After that, you need to gain volume to the optimal size. All parts are sculpted in accordance with the sketch. It is very important that all parts of the workpiece work out, that is, they do not have depressions and bumps that will impede the removal of the product.
4. After the base is ready, you can go directly to the papier-mâché. When picking in pieces, the surface of the product may turn out to be uneven. If you are preparing a mask for a wild animal, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you require a smooth surface, then sanding with sandpaper is required after drying. This process is quite time consuming, in which case it is better to give preference to the sculpting technique - it allows you to get a flat surface.
5. The model is coated with petroleum jelly, after which paper pulp is applied.
6. An important point. After you have made 3-4 layers, you should form the holes for attaching the elastic and slits for the eyes. After the mask dries, it will be much more difficult to perform such actions.
7. The finished mask is carefully removed from the model. If the mass does not leave, then it is better to donate the plasticine base and remove it from the grease in parts.
8. After that, all that remains is to clean the edges with emery, paint and decorate with ribbons, sequins, frills and lace.

The papier-mâché technique can be used to make landscaping items. These can be decorative stones, watering cans, figures of bulls, birds, as well as fountains, flowers, autumn mushrooms or fairy-tale heroes.

• To begin with, a frame is formed from wire, cardboard or a bottle. In its appearance, it should resemble the outlines of a future craft.
• Next, an adhesive solution is made. To do this, boil the paste and mix it with PVA in a 1 to 1 ratio.
• The paper trays are torn apart, and then dipped in the prepared glue, they are applied in 8-12 layers to the frame. The product must be dried every 2-3 layers.
• The smallest elements are formed from napkins or toilet paper soaked in glue, so the mass is more plastic.
• At the final stage, all the craft is pasted over with paper and wait until it dries. After that, all that remains is to prime the craft and paint it. To prevent the paint from washing off in the rain, it is covered with a layer of varnish.
• Varnishing protects the craft from precipitation. Nevertheless, in the fall, during the rainy season, it is better to remove the decor item into the house, since prolonged contact with water can lead to deformation of the craft.

How to make a papier-mâché snowman with your own hands, see the video.