Thread: Paper Mache questions

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I want to make a large witches cauldron out of papier mache and I'm looking for some pointers on where to start. I have a 4 foot beach ball that I would like to use for the form.

What do I put on the beach ball to keep the Mache from sticking to it so that it can be removed when it's done?

Does the papier Mache need any kind of reinforcement on something this large and hollow?

How many layers should I use?

Would newspaper cut into strips be the best way to do this prop?

I would like it to last a long time, not just one season. What kind of paint would you use to protect it and weatherproof it?

I've seen some of the awesome props that have been made out of Mache and posted on the forum here and I sure would appreciate any tips that anyone can give me!!

I don't have any suggestions but, really want to hear from people also. I want to do some stuff this winter while I'm buried in snow and can't do anything in my garage.

Hey ! i've worked with my own version of paper mache that i did for a mixed media project on a canvas board. ( image attached) I used new paper shredded into 2" , flour and water. The body was 4" thick. I used carboard to do my outline of body and molded the paper mache around it. for the top part of it i used crumpled up newspaper inside so the paper mache wouldn't cave in when layed out. everything stayed intact. and all of it was done on a cavas board. You can do that use flour and water. Or you can go to a craft store and they have actual paper mache mix. With the ball your going to use if you wanted you could put a garbage bag around it and tie it at the end and cover it with paper mache that way you won't ruin your ball. once covered ( try to do in sections and let it dry section by section other wise you will have a big mess) leave a the piece were you tied the garbage bag uncovered with paper mache make and a cut to relieve the the ball . once you get the ball out paper mache the cut up. the rest of the ball will be hard enough to hold the shape while you do that. if you wanted you could stuff it with news paper to keeps it more secure. Layer wise you might want to do 3-4 layers. to have a really hard ball.

I would cover the ball with tin foil. It worked great for me. You do get some bits that stick to the paper mache but I assume you are painting it. I use old phone book pages for my paper, quick and a great way to recycle. Once I have on several layers and they are dry, I would remove the ball and it should be stable enough to work with, and you can see where you need to add more mache. Just keep adding until you get the thickness and stability you need. I then coat each piece with Dry - Loc . It is made to be used in basements with water problems. I know Home Depot carries it. Have fun.

I would put the beachball in a plastic trashbag....

I am certainly not an expert, but this is what I learned last year from experience.

1. Pumpkin held up well with 6 layers of newspaper using 50/50 carpenter glue and water. Spray painted and then highlighted with craft paint. Final coat of Spar Varnish for extra protection.

2. The roots that had contact with the ground and had areas that allowed water to sit turned to mush.

If you have your cauldron open at the top that is going to make it very vulnerable to water. Have you considered using the a black plastic one & distressing it?

Another tip....you want to tear the newspaper and not cut it. It makes the edges bond together better.

This large witches cauldron was made out of a plastic one by a very talented guy on a different forum. You might want to consider doing something like this instead of mache.

I use several coats of exterior grade latex paint on my paper mache props and they have held up pretty well outside for the 2 weeks or so that they are outside every year.

I try to cover them up when it is going to snow or rain to keep most of the moisture off of them.

I use tin foil to cover the prop or form that I am duplicating. Tape the seams of the tin fiol with masking tape, this will keep the glue from leaking under the tin foil.

I use all sorts of different materials for paper mache. Newspaper is cheap, phone books are good as well - you can alternate layers yellow pages/white pages so you don't miss any spots. Also I like to use paper towels they form better to intricate forms, and give a more flesh like texture to the outer layer. (I mostly do paper mache heads)

Ok, since I'm new to this site and to building halloween props in general, no one has chimed in with a great answer here so I finally get to answer one. YAY!!!

The answer to weatherproofing your paper mache props is...drumroll....yacht varnish! The drawbacks are: Fumey to apply. High gloss finish. Darkened paint a little. However, in a test in the UK on a paper mache figure (think lawn gnome) with only a couple furniture protectors glued to the bottom to maybe make sure he wasn't standing in water on gravel, he withstood 12 months of wind, torrential rain, snow, frost and blazing sunshine and other than the darkening, looked like the day the lady who ran the test has made her.

I think that's a pretty definitive on what to use from now on for weatherproofing your props. The high gloss finish, however, may be a dealbreaker for some.

Spar Varnish is a marine varnish. Another drawback is it is expensive. I read that article Sumrtym, wish it would've worked that well on my project. I think the difference is I had areas that the water would pool and it had constanct contact with the moist ground. It worked great on the head which didn't have either of those issues.

Sorry to contradict what you said Sumrtym, I just don't want to have somebody else spend hours on a project only to be ruined before the season is even over. Man, that sucked.