Make Beautiful Sculptures and Masks with Paper Mache and Paper Mache Clay
Sculpture and Mask Patterns
For a fast, easy start, check out my patterns for animal masks and sculptures. No experience is required to create paper mache art that will be treasured for years.
Paper mache recipes.
You can find all the traditional paper mache paste recipes on this site, plus my famous paper mache clay recipe (and several new variations). You can always find the recipe you’re looking for under the Recipes link at the tip of the site.
Or download my free booklet, The 5 Best Recipes for Paper Mache.
Paper Mache Tutorials.
If you’re looking for an idea for your next paper mache project, we’ve got lots – there are over 480 tutorials and projects on this site, and more are added all the time. You’ll find them organized by category on the Blog-Art Library page.
If you have a particular project in mind, try the search bar. You will always find the search icon at the top of the site.
Paper Mache Community.
I’m Jonni Good, the creator of this site and the author of several best-selling sculpting books on amazon.com. You’ll find me on the Daily Sculptors page almost every day, along with many other friendly and supportive folks who love creating beautiful things with this exciting medium. Be sure to drop by and say “hi.” We’d love to meet you.
Awesome Chimera Made with Paper Mache
This paper mache chimera was made by Cindy Williams, and she shows us every step in this amazing tutorial.
Create a Figure Sculpture Series with Paper Mache Clay
This figure sculpture series was made with paper mache clay, over a wax positive mold. It’s a unique way to make many different sculptures using one original model. Guest post tutorial on UltimatePaperMache.com
Make Animal Doll Heads with Air-Dry Clay
These hollow doll heads are made with DIY Silky-Smooth Air Dry clay. They’re adorable, and much easier to make than you would expect.
Easy Bronze Coating for the Paper Mache Deer Head
It’s easy to add a bronze coating to paper mache, like I did with this deer head. There’s other ways to do it, too, and our readers are sharing their ideas here.
Make a Paper Mache Fennec Fox
This beautiful paper mache Fennec Fox was created by Sattik Halder, an 18-year old self-taught artist from Calcutta, India, who says “I love animals, especially
Dragon Head Sculpture Inspired by Dungeons and Dragons
This dragon head bust or wall sculpture, was made with CelluClay, glass beads and polymer clay teeth. See the full guest post tutorial to see how it was done.
Nicholas, are you taking a plaster mold of your face?
That elephant turned out so great, and using texture paint was brilliant!
Hi paper mache community! I’ve really loved this site and have learned a lot, ending up making table decor and other props for three years’ worth of library benefits… everything from Hedwig, Moby Dick, and the leviathan Jules Verne to most of the characters from Alice in Wonderland and reefs and giant seahorses for an under the sea theme. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Betsy! Thanks for much for letting us know you enjoy the site.
Do you have any pictures, Alice in Wonderland sounds so interesting.
I have been surfing around today and found this site. I’m not sure how I will do, I haven’t sculpted in a very long time. I have a two year art degree but found myself helping designers in fashion design which meant mostly
receiving customers, watching the front room and sometimes sewing.
It seems a little less expensive than using “paper clay” or sculpty.
Oh, I did sculpt one doll, let me see if I have her on this computer, Leanne
Hi Leanne. Your doll is beautiful. I can’t remember doing anything with Alice in Wonderland, but one of our regular readers on the Daily Sculptors page might have some they could share with us. Leave a comment there, and see what they come up with.
Hi Jonni ..
My name is Nicholas.
A few years ago I followed your advice and plaster of paris mix to do an Alex De Large mark for a fancy dress party. Lots of comments and everyone loved it.
I am now going a mock up of my own face and am applying the first Gesso coat with no added colour.
My question to you is can I use water colour paint to add into the gesso mix ?
Blessing
Hi Nicholas. Yes, you can add paint or pigment. The color won’t be very bright because the gesso mix is so white, but it does work. Give it a try and see if it works the way you want it to.
Here’s a pic of it last night.
Hi Jonni, just an update on my very large to be paper mache elephant for my wifes birthday. Large in the way, height is 156cm, 61inches, length is 212cm, 83inches. I’ve ventured off from your plans slightly but I am now up to the paper mache stage, though I’m still thinking to do a layer of masking tape to strengthen it more. Fingers crossed it works.
Wade, we would love to see that elephant – but I think you tried to upload a photo, and it didn’t work. If you did, it was probably too big. File sizes need to be less than 250 kb to work in the comments. I hope you’ll edit the image and try again. If you don’t have image editing software, you can use this free online tool.
Hi mate Jonni, hopefully my picture will upload. I’m very happy with the finished product as is my wife. I used pva glue and water, ratio of approximately 2 parts glue to 1 part water. 2 layers of newspaper, 1 layer of paper towel, them painted with a textured exterior paint.
Hi Wade. Your elephant really turned out nice. I like the textured paint idea – and the tusks. Do you intend to leave it outside?
Hi I brought the lion head pattern but when I went to print it today I couldn’t as I had left it too late, can you please resend it to me
Hi Judith. I reset the link so you can download the pattern. Be sure to actually save it to your computer or device, so you can always access it whenever you need to. If you don’t still have the original receipt with the download link, let me know and I’ll resend it.
Have fun sculpting!
I just wanted your ideas please. I just made a small bendable wire amateur. Now, before I apply paper clay over the wire, must I first place glue over the wire before applying this paper clay?
Thank you
Hi Quintina. I always create some form of armature over the wire, so only a very thin layer of paper mache clay is needed. Is that what you intend to do?
I mean that I form the shapes of the sculpture with crumpled paper and masking tape, or crumpled foil and hot glue. This can be placed around the wire so the shapes can be bent into the proper position before the paper mache is added.
how to make paper mache smooth clay??
This video will help: How to make paper mache clay smooth without sanding.
Olá!, eu amo sua escrita entã? tanto ! compartilhar nós ?star ?m
contato mais ?obre s?u artigo na AOL? Eu precisa especialista neste
casa ?ara desvendar meu problema. Talvez é
você! Dando um? olhada frente perscrutar você.
Unfortunately, Google translate mangled Paulo’s comment, so I can’t give a reasonable answer. I hope someone who speaks Portuguese will help out??
Hi Jonni,
Wonder if you could help me decide on how to get a smooth effect on my Highland cow horns!
Thanks
Pauline
Hi Pauline. Have you seen this video? It works for both paper mache clay and paper strips and paste. I do hope you’ll let us see how your cow turns out!
Hi Jonni. You are amazing!! Just watched the vid on re-make of Mr. Kangaroo….when you asked about helping Dino to stand…what would happen if you glued washers to the tail and also feet for internal weight? It wouldn’t show. I love your sculptures and teaching.
Yes, I think some weights will help. I might end up using some epoxy glue to attach him to a stand, but even then I need him to balance the right way. It’s going to work – but you might see me fiddling with it in my next video. 🙂
Dear Jonny,
I LOVE your sculptures! You make it look so easy! I thought to myself… “Okay, I can do this!”… and my clay came out lumpy and my sculpture looks like it’s part dog ( which it’s supposed to be) and part bearded dragon! Hahahahaha!
How I wish I had your talent!
Hi Nina. The paper mache clay isn’t supposed to come out lumpy, so is it possible that you used more paper than the recipe calls for? Or perhaps you pressed out so much water that the paper couldn’t come apart when it was mixed? But even with the lumpiness, it sounds like your first sculpture is interesting anyway. Do you have a photo you could share so we can see it?