Thread: Papier Mache Pumpkins - How to finish them off?

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Sorry, I don't mean finish them off in a dramatic 'Goodfellas' way! (Although that's just given me an idea..............................................)

I'm making some pumpkins (I have 12 on the go and my wife is sooooo pleased with my latest project...................) and have followed the Stolloween guide, with a couple of tweaks from other sites, but essentially the same way.

So far, I have them covered with the papier mache clay (Stolloween's ingredients) but they are not completely smooth as they have small 'pits' which is down to the cellulose insulation not being as fine as I'd like. Having looked at Stolloween's how to on his site, I see that his are very similar and so can only conclude that the insulation I'm using is basically the same (I had a LOT of trouble finding cellulose insulation here in the UK, but then happened by chance to find a distribution depot only 1 mile away and went to collect them - took me 10 minutes!!).

I would like mine to be smoother, just like real pumpkins, and am trying to think of how to do this.

Ok, it's not rocket science I know, but I thought I'd ask if anybody has done the same thing and what had they found that works best?

So far I've thought of the following and would ask for any comments as to what you guys think the pros & cons would be, or for any of your own suggestions;

Plaster filler - something like polycel or similar decorators filler. Don't know whether to go for hard finish or some sort of flexible finish to hopefully prevent cracking?

Bathroom & kitchen sealer - the stuff you use to fill in around sinks & baths by using a caulking gun. Again, don't know whether to go for a hard/rigid finish or a flexible (almost rubber like) sealant, which I would hope would prevent cracks.

PVA glue - simply smeared around to fill in the holes/pits.

Papier Mache paste - simply paste (again, Stolloween's ingredients - unless I should use another recipe?) which is used to smear around to fill in the holes/pits.

Whichever, I would use a putty type knife to smooth whatever I use into the holes/pits in order to give a nice smooth finish ready for painting/sealing.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

If it was me, I'd go for silicone caulk (one of the bathroom/kitchen sealer options you mentioned). If it's the stuff in a tube that is waterproof, then that's what I use on quite a few of my projects.

It's easy to work with, water soluble/cleanup. Once dry and cured, it's flexible and can be painted...and cheap.

I use my fingers to smooth over joints and seams and just keep a little spray bottle or a bowl of water to dip my fingers in and a large rag to wipe off my hands when they get goopy.

I don't do a ton of paper maché, tho, so there may be a better solution from the more experienced posters.

My first suggestion would be Celluclay, basically paper mache pulp.

You could also try Monster Mud.

Originally Posted by RCIAG

My first suggestion would be Celluclay, basically paper mache pulp.

You could also try Monster Mud.

Where can you find Celluclay at common stores without having to buy it on line? The only store I saw come up on the seach was K Mart which we dont have in Houston TX. Ive never seen it at Wal-Mart. Anyone know?

My initial thought was silicone sealant too - yes, as you say Frankie's Girl, it's the stuff in a tube that waterproofs around the bath/shower. Again, the reason being versatility, price and easy cleaning once finished, plus the sealant aspects of it is very appealing.

I've heard of Celluclay but don't know if we have it over here in the UK. I'm 95% sure we do and I think I've seen it in a local big hobby store.

Something else I thought of was a sawdust & PVA glue mix. Anybody ever tried doing anything with that?

I did the sawdust to create more defined sections/ridges of my pm pumpkin and it looks kinda lumpy. I was also wondering how to smooth it out. So the answer is....sawdust mixture will not help you lol

I use painters caulk for my pumpkins. You can apply it with your hands to get into nooks and crannies and when you get your hand a little wet the caulk becomes very smooth and you can get nice clean surfaces. Very easy cleanup with water and it's waterproof after curing. I use it for waterproofing around eyes and the mouth where the paper mache overlaps a lot and to smooth down certain parts.

It's super cheap, I find it at HD by price. It's less than a buck a tube or close to it.

I showed it in a pumpkinrot style paper mache tutorial here under section 4. The pic with the white around the face is the painters caulk.
painters caulk smoothing

Hope this helps

Originally Posted by baboomgirl

Where can you find Celluclay at common stores without having to buy it on line? The only store I saw come up on the seach was K Mart which we dont have in Houston TX. Ive never seen it at Wal-Mart. Anyone know?

You can get it at Michael's if you have one nearby.

Yep, thanks guys.

I thought the decorator's sealant would be the way to go - think I'll go with the flexible (rubbery) type as that should allow for a little movement (mainly by me!).

Originally Posted by Phil-the-fear

Yep, thanks guys.

I thought the decorator's sealant would be the way to go - think I'll go with the flexible (rubbery) type as that should allow for a little movement (mainly by me!).

Thanks so much for asking this question -- I was wondering the same thing myself and didn't think to ask here! I have tons of the silicone caulk left over from another project!