Make Beautiful Sculptures and Masks with Paper Mache and Paper Mache Clay
Rediscover the joy of sculpting. After all, why should kids have all the fun?
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 Art Library – Projects 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 popular 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.
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 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?