Posting some paper mache paste recipes and paper mache projects has been on my to-do list for a couple of months, so I reached out to all of the fans on the Family Crafts Facebook page a few weeks ago.  I asked for some ideas for what sort of creations I should make, and I was not disappointed by all of the suggestions I received.

One of the most important things you need when it comes to doing paper mache is a good paste.  While you can use products you can buy — like liquid starch, thinned wallpaper paste, or diluted white glue – you can easily make your own glue using a few items from your kitchen.

Ingredients to Make Paper Mache Paste:

• Flour
• Water
• Salt (optional)

You will also need these items:

• Measuring Cup
• Large Bowl
• Fork or Spoon

Start out by measuring your flour into the bowl. I usually start out with one cup of flour. Add to that about one and a half cups of water. Stir this mixture well getting out as many lumps as you can. You will want this mixture to be the consistency of runny pancake batter.  Add a teaspoon or two of salt. While the salt is optional, I recommend you use it because it helps to prevent mold (mold can sometimes be a problem because it can take quite awhile for the paper mache to dry).

This amount of paper mache paste should be enough to do an entire medium-sized project, like a typical piñata. You can adjust the amount of paste you make easily, all you need to remember is that you need approximately 2 parts of flour to mix with approximately 3 parts water.

When you are making something using paper mache, it is very important to apply the glue and newspaper strips one layer at a time and let each layer dry at least 24 hours before you apply the next. Because of this, you will find it necessary to store your paste between uses. This paste mixture should keep well for a week or even two if you store it in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. The flour and water tend to separate a bit so you will need to stir the paste well before you use it again.

This is the easiest paper mache paste recipe I know of and will work for pretty much any project you plan on making. There is a similar recipe you can make, that requires you to cook the paste. This is supposed to make the mixture a little smoother and supposedly a little stronger.

Now that the paste in made, you can begin making your paper mache project. What would you like to make?