My children have always been fascinated with making toys. They have tried making things out of cardboard, yarn, wire, wood. Some of the best items they have produced are made by using a simple ‘fake’ paper mache’ technique.
Here’s How it is Done:
- First crumble some paper up into the shape you desire. Use a little masking tape to hold it in place. (We like to use newspaper.)
- Cover the entire piece with masking tape. Smooth the masking tape out as much as possible. The piece must be covered in tape with no newspaper showing.
- Paint your sculpture with tempera paints and decorate it with other craft accessories like rocks, feathers, eyes, ribbons, etc.
Here’s a sample of an environment my daughter made for dinosaurs!
Easy, No Mess Paper Mache’ Dinosaur Environment!
I LOVE Fabri-tac for these types of projects
Fabri-tac is a type of glue that works just like hot glue (instantly) without the heat! So it is GREAT for kid projects like this one where there may be heavy pieces to glue down. White glue can’t handle the weight of some things and the wait time is painful for children. Fabri-tac works almost instantly and really handles heavy, crazy shaped objects just as well as hot glue!
Good Luck! I would love to see your Easy, No Mess Paper Mache’ projects! Email pictures of them to me here Veronica/Hands On Learning 4 All!