Papier Mache

A friend was looking at my "Shore Bird" last night. She remembered doing papier mache in school, but commented on how messy the process is.

I thought, hmmm...

I've been working with the technique for so long that I've come up with a few tips for staying tidy.

Most instructions would have you dip the paper strips in the glue solution and then try to stick that onto your project. This will lead to lots of laundry and possibly being embarrassingly stuck to the project.

A better way is to use a paintbrush. Dip it in the glue solution (I use white glue and water, in roughly equal parts), then brush it onto whatever your working on. Lay a piece of paper onto the glued portion and brush more glue on top.

Most of the time you won't even need to touch the sticky, gluey surface. If a piece of paper won't cooperate, you can nudge it into place with a finger and carry on from there.

I keep a damp cloth handy and just wipe my hands on it occasionally.

So much tidier than what we did in grade school. So tidy, in fact, that I can work on a project in the shop while it's open.

Painting? I have to save that for my private time.