Video:Paper Mache Pulp Ideas

Transcript:Paper Mache Pulp Ideas

Hi I'm Marni Singer for About.com. Today I'm going to show you how to make paper mache pulp.

Paper mache pulp is really great for adding smooth, fine details for all your paper mache creations, or for making other small objects. It would probably take a lot though if you were trying to make something much larger.

Items Necessary for Paper Mache Pulp

First I'm going to show you all the different things you need to make your paper mache pulp. The first item you need is your newspaper. This is basically the heart and soul of your paper mache pulp. Next item is a large bowl or receptacle in which to hold your mixture. Then you're going to need some warm water for your mixture. You will also need some salt. And a little bit of glue to top it off.

Optionally you can use scissors if you don't feel like ripping your newspaper by hand. There are also some other alternatives to making paper mache pulp that don't involve using newspaper. For example you can use a cardboard egg carton or laundry lint.

Rip Newspaper and Soak in Water

So the first thing you want to do is rip up your newspaper into really small pieces. The smaller you get it, the easier it is later on. Or you can grab the scissors.

After you have your newspaper all ripped up, you're going to want to take your warm water and pour it into the bowl just enough to cover it. Once you have your newspaper completely covered with the warm water, you're going to want to let it set for at least a couple hours and probably overnight.

Mix Salt into Paper Mache Pulp

Now that we've let our mixture sit overnight, we're going to want to get our hands into it, really play with it and squeeze it to try to get all the lumps out that we can. Once the mixture is as smooth as possible, we add just a little bit of salt, maybe a couple table spoons. We do this to prevent molding.

Once the salt is all mixed in, we're going to squeeze out all the excess water that we can and then add just a couple table spoons of glue. Then get your hands back in there, mix it all up, and you are ready to use your paper mache pulp.

Newspaper Alternatives for Paper Mache Pulp

As I said before, you can do the same thing only using a cardboard egg carton. You just cut off little pieces, and you add the warm water, let it soak overnight, mix in some salt, mix in the excess water, add the glue, mix it in, and you're all set to go.

Another way to make paper mache pulp is using laundry lint. For this process, you're going to want to use one part lint, 2/3 part warm water, and about 1/4 part of flour. If you don't have time to wait overnight, you can actually boil the water instead of using warm water.

After it's all done and it's all mixed together, you're going to want to do the same thing you did before with the warm water mixture. You add a little bit of salt, squeeze it out, and add the glue.

Well I really hope you enjoy your paper mache pulp. There are so many great things that you can make, and I know you're going to make fantastic creations. Thank you for watching! And to learn more visit us on the web at About.com.