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.
Terry’s DIY Giraffe for a Baby’s Nursery
This baby giraffe was made with plywood and foam insulation from the DIY store, and covered with paper mache clay. The tutorial shows you how to make one for your baby.
How Pia Paints Glass Eyes for Her Animal Sculptures
This tutorial shows how inexpensive glass cabochons can be painted to create realistic eyes for paper mache animal sculptures.
How Lezlei Young Made Camilla, a Giraffe for Vacation Bible School
This paper mache tutorial shows you how to make a large giraffe. This post was written by Lezlei Young, who made the giraffe for Vacation Bible School.
Lifelike Horses Made with Wire and Paper Mache Clay
Our friend Maud Berglund, from Sweden, creates beautiful horse sculptures with wire, wire mesh, paper mache clay and bronze paint. She’s only been sculpting since
Cooked Flour and Water Paste Recipe – And When to Use It
In this video I show you how I make cooked flour and water paste for my paper mache sculptures, and when it’s worth extra time to make it.
Lion Headdress Mask Patterns for the Lion King Jr. Play
Lion Headdress Mask Patterns for the Lion King Play Buy the entire 4-pattern set for just $28* *The patterns are also available individually for $12
Thank you for the compliment.
I did try to waterproof her for outdoors…including multiple layers of marine spar.
Honestly, I am afraid to leave her out. Luckily she is light enough to relocate to my front porch where We keep our umbrella during storms. So keeping eye on forecasts.
The faux finish was just brushed exterior green paint and cheap craft acrylic inca gold paint from walmart on top of black exterior latex base.
My collage below is not instructional but gives a general idea and a better idea. Made it for friends who were curious.
Hi, I love all your tips and films, what a brilliant source of information. I have made lots of tiny dogs and they worked really well. I’m now making some huge things, so to get a hard structure I’m adding about 7-8 layers of paper/split layers of cardboard. I have watched your film on mould. I’m in Scotland, it’s not hot or dry, so I’m having problems! Would I get a good hard finish if I used wallpaper paste with a fungicide in stead of flour and water? Or is there anything I could add to flour and water that would make it harder, resulting in fewer layers, or something that would stop it going mouldy? (I like to stick to safe materials). Finally, if I see mould spots on an unsealed surface (now!) is the piece ruined, or will it dry out eventually? Sorry I’m asking for so much but I’m quite new to this and obviously this is quite fundamental if I want my pieces to last. Hope you can help, best wishes and continued success, Flora
Hi Flora. If mold is already growing, you might be able to kill it by putting it in the oven at about 93° C for an hour or so. That will also make sure there’s no moisture left inside. Mold doesn’t need much moisture, but it can’t live at all without it – that’s why drying is so important. The wallpaper paste will make strong paper mache, but wear gloves when you use it. You could also use Elmer’s Art Paste, which doesn’t attract mold. Wood glue is probably stronger than the Elmer’s Art Paste, but it’s more expensive.
Thought I might add my 2 cents worth – Theses are 2 recent pieces of mine.
I do my eyes very close to the same but as a final step I add 2 coats of enamel Metallica gold.
It is strong and adds to the effect if there are any missing spots (which I create sometimes).
Many times I also add an upper and lower lid which I didn´t do here.
Thank you for all you have done for this art form – you are awesome!
Dana
Very nice, Dana! I know Pia would love to see your work because she’s the one who wrote our recent guest post about painting glass eyes for animal sculptures. You’re more than welcome to post your photo and comment on her guest post, where she’s more likely to see it.
I have one question for you – maybe 2. When you add the enamel Metalica gold, where do you actually put it? Is it painted onto the back of the eye? Does it show through the other colors? And do you use acrylics for most of the painting, like Pia does?
Hello Jonni, could the pig be made in the same fashion as the baby elephant? As in with using the shelf liner?
Hi Angela. Yes, you could use the same materials as the baby elephant, printing on card stock and covering it with the shelf liner. I made mine with cardboard from a cereal box, but when you add the shelf liner your card stock will be almost exactly the same thickness and stiffness. If you make a pig, I really hope you’ll let us see how it turns out. 🙂
Hi Jonni, Im currently making your giraffe pattern and have a question about it. I noticed that in the instructions it says to cover the eyes, ears, mane and nostrils with one layer of paper strip and paste. Does that mean that we do not cover the rest of the giraffe with the paper strips and paste? I could not tell with the pictures, since they jump to the giraffe covered in clay. It is my first time working with paper mache and clay.
Thank you!
I am really enjoying the whole process.
Hi Melissa. You can cover all of the giraffe with paper strips and paste. But if you decide to use paper mache for the giraffe, I suggest using the paper strips and paste for the areas you mentioned. It’s easier than paper mache clay in those particular areas.
We’d love to see your giraffe when it’s done!
Hi Jonni and fellow sculptors 🙂
I tried the original clay recipe and only added 1/2 cup of flour.
Im trying to make 16″ balls by spreading the mix on inflated beach balls. I only put 1/2 a cup of flour in because I wanted a thin spreadable paste, and not a thick paste to sculp.
The mixture is slipping off in some places and sliding down! I purposely didnt put vaseline on for this reason.
Please help. Do I add more flour to thicken the paste? 🙁
Hi Cherith. Very few things will stick to a rubber ball, so your problem is gravity. Try putting masking tape over the balls, and then proppiing them up so that you can put the clay on just the upper portion. Let it dry, turn it over, and do the other side. I hope it works!
Ah! This makes sense.
I didnt think of putting masking tape on first and doing section by section.
Thank you for the response. I appreciate you taking the time. 🙂
Thank you
Lovely site
I want to make thin flowers
What would you recommend for the base
Thank you
Margaret
Hi Margaret. I haven’t made any flowers, but some of our readers have. I suggest that you put your comment over on the Daily Sculptors page, and I’m sure someone will have a good idea for you.
“ I had a huge task ahead of me, and though I have been an artist for years it had been awhile since I had made a paper mache armature. I emailed Jonni and she lead me in the right direction. Her patterns where so easy to follow. I was even able to take her concepts of the giraffe and create a two zebras. 8 armatures in total. Vacation Bible School was a huge success! The kids loved the interaction and it brought the safari theme to life. Thank you ultimatepapermache. com and Jonni. You are truly an inspiration. Keep creating all you amazing artists!
Rachel Newmyer
Great work, Rachel! Thanks for sharing them with us.
Hi there! I used your lion template and the fabulous paper mache clay recipe to create a fierce lion for a school parade float. I thought you may like to see it!
Carrie, we would love to see it! But your photo didn’t upload with your comment. Each photo needs to be under 250 kb. To make it smaller, you can edit it with this free online tool. I do hope you’ll try again!
to make gesso…………..I see that you use glue and compound,,,,,,,,,, will it dry if have extra gesso
Do you mean will it dry in the bowl if it isn’t covered? Yes – but it will last for a long time if you can keep the air out.
Oh, the butterfly is a ready made one but I want to try making your butterfly 🙂
Hi Jonni, I am so happy my photos finally got through :-)) and thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot for me. I used stripped paper towels which I wrinkled and then dubbed in glue and water and placed randomly on the cat’s body .
Enjoyed making him very much
It’s adorable, Miki. Thanks for showing it to us.
My cat 🙂
Miki, how did you make the fur? And the butterfly? I’ve never seen anything like it before. The eyes on both of your cats are really nice, too.
Wow, you have some incredible art. I’ve dabbled with paper mache clay before, bought from Michel’s craft store, but my real love is papercraft models. However, they tend to get damaged easily so I’m looking for a way to re enforce then so they last.
Hi Jeremy. We often use the light cardboard from cereal boxes to create the forms, and cover them with a layer or two of paper mache. The first two videos near the middle of this post might give you some ideas for your papercraft models.
Jonni, thank you for inspiring me with all of your tutorials. My family thought I was crazy to make a life size sculpture out of paper mache and clay, but are extremely delighted now! So happy how my first sculpture turned out! Thank you again for providing these instructions. ?
Your first sculpture? Wow – I’m impressed. The proportions are perfect, and that’s isn’t easy. Two questions: Are you going to keep it outside? And what did you use for the finish? It looks metallic.
Thank you for the compliment.
I did try to waterproof her for outdoors…including multiple layers of marine spar.
Honestly, I am afraid to leave her out. Luckily she is light enough to relocate to my front porch where We keep our umbrella during storms. So keeping eye on forecasts.
The faux finish was just brushed exterior green paint and cheap craft acrylic inca gold paint from walmart on top of black exterior latex base.
My collage below is not instructional but gives a general idea and a better idea. Made it for friends who were curious.
Thanks, Cindy. I have to admit that I tried marine varnish once, and the sun destroyed it. I think it’s a good idea to bring her under cover when it rains.
How did the sun ruin your project?
I have heard about it yellowing, but figured with my faux finish colors, it would not effect it terribly.
Though, it only comes in glossy. So my last layer was an clear matte enamel finishing spray all over to tone down the glossiness. Just hoping the enamel on top of uerethane doesn’t peel in time!
The marine varnish on my turtle was fine until I moved it out into the sun. The sun cracked the varnish in less than a week, and then it rained. If it was covered with paint to protect the varnish, that might help. The varnish I used was supposed to have a UV filter to protect it, but it didn’t seem to help. How long do you intend to keep your sculpture outside? You probably already told us, but I forgot – but if you’re just going to use the piece for holiday decorations, and you dry them out really well after you bring them inside, the marine varnish should work. For longer than that, some people have good luck with it, but I didn’t.
I will have to keep an eye on her then. Spot on front deck doesn’t get sun. I try to watch rain forecasts though. I plan on just moving her onto porch to wait out the storms and winter.
I just need a better stand. Another project perhaps. Lol.
Right now I have already started a mini mermaid statue and working on a wild horses statue. (Inspired by your Swedish guest) So woodworking project will have to wait.
Thank you again for all of your insight and tips.
Hi , this is my cat. Loved making it
Hi Miki. Your photo didn’t come through. It might be too large. I hope you’ll try again, because we3’d love to see it.
Here’s a picture of Gary! I used “slip sheets” for the cereal box cardboard. These are found between the pkgs of paper towel on a pallet at Costco. They usually just throw them away, but make great poster board!
Wow – what a clever idea, and well executed, too. Thanks, Carolyn, for sharing the photo. Do the kids get to make up a story to explain why the giraffe is driving a jeep?
Hi Jonni,
I, too “upsized my Giraffe for VBS. His name is Gary. I did not make his entire body, that would have been cool, but Gary is driving a Jeep and travels through 7 different VBS’s all summer
I have just made my first mask form! This is only plaster cloth….I am letting it dry overnight before I can sand it as much as I can, then adding the paper mache and smooth gesso to make it all smooth and usable for future masks.