Thread: Paper mache pulp and clay

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Hi again. I am sticking to paper mache because it's cheap and easy to do. I want to make some paper clay and paper mache pulp. I found a few recipes online and was wondering if anyone has a specific method or recipe that works well. I want make a plaster 2-part mold for a skull and then cast the skull in paper mache. Any ideas?

Check out Scott's amazing mache creations at STOLLOWEEN. He uses mache pulp for casting his props, and I think he has a recipe posted.

I tried making a plaster mold and using strips paper mache to fill it, it didn't work out so good. I would up breaking the mold to get the head out.

I have had better luck wrapping a head in tin foil and paper macheing on top of the tin foil. I have done a front and a back and then put then together, I have also just done the front and then blown up a balloon and stuffed in the front half, and paper maced the back.

I do like stilloweens idea of using water soaked newspaper as a release.

I have thought of doing just the front also to save time. I found some other recipes online that may be better, like homemade clay and such.

Otaku, I've seen Stolloween's work, he is simply awesome. I love the gargoyle he made out of water bottles and paper mache

Buy a bag of Celluclay from JoAnns or Michaels. It's paper mache that you just add water to. It is kinda sculptable and it dries hard. I played with some, but haven't done a complete project yet.

Thanks Hallow, I will check it out. I also bought some play dough, but I'm not sure how much I can accomplish with it lol.

I have used the cellaclay and like it -

it is similar to the paper pulp that Stilloween makes on his web site, except I think there is powdered paste mixed in somehow.

I use it to add depth and details and to fill in problems on my props. I have been covering it with newspaper or paper towel strips after it drys, mostly because I have been using it on faces and want the texture of a paper towel to show through the paint job.

I have used celluclay for several props, it worked good, then over it, to smooth it out ,I used paperclay, also bought at either micheals or hobby lobby

I was thinking of going over my beachball-sized pumpkin with Celluclay. I did 6 layers of paper mache, but it still doesn't seem quite strong enough.

I'm going to suggest something a little out of left field.

PowerGrab.

It's a "construction adhesive". Comes in either pressurized cans, or in caulking gun tubes.

a little on my history with it. An UnOrthOdOx Halloween: One man's junk...

The stuff is very sculptable, as long as you keep your hands and tools wet. It does shrink a fair bit and might crack if spread thickly over a very rigid surface, but those cracks are easy to fill back in. The stuff is slightly flexible when dry.

I make a lot of things out of this stuff spread over Crayola Model Magic clay. Was just going to post about my latest. It's still in a very rough stage, but it's coming along, and you can clearly see the sculpting ability of Power Grab.




I have a couple of test recipes stewing out in the garage for making paper mache and paper clay out of the stuff, and the results are looking quite promising. But, nothing concrete yet.