Daily Sculptors Page

Join the conversation and share your paper mache sculptures with our supportive community.

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  • Tell us about the project you’re working on, even if it isn’t finished yet.
  • Ask for advice if you need it.
  • Help other readers find answers to their own questions about paper mache.
  • Show off your projects when they’re done so we can see how they came out. We love to see what other paper mache artists are doing.
  • And tell us a bit about yourself. We’re glad you’re here. Welcome!

Get a fast start on your next paper mache project or hand-made gift with Jonni’s easy downloadable patterns for masks, animal sculptures and faux trophy mounts. The patterns help you create a beautiful work of art, even if you’ve never sculpted anything before.

13,179 thoughts on “Daily Sculptors Group Page”

  1. Hi everyone,
    I tried to make a pouting baby monkey head here. I almost tossed him but instead put him covered in paper clay unfinished on a shelf for awhile. Later I looked at him again and decided to at least use him for practicing my finishing after all he was a lot of work. I shaved some places off him and added some here and there than I just painted him up. He looks kinda angry with his lop sided ears and eyebrows but he is still growing on me.

      • I think it’s fun when a sculpture takes on an expression that’s different than the one we first intended – that happened with my last chimp, too, and it’s almost like they have a mind of their own. 🙂

    • It is funny how sometimes we almost get rid of something that becomes a favorite later, and sometimes projects we have more enthusiasm for don’t quite turn out. I plan to eventually show my chicken–which I’ve completed but haven’t gotten a photo of yet. I only did it as practice and didn’t really feel that much affection for it at first. Then it looked like it was going to be ridiculous because the eyes bulged out so much. However, I plan to keep it now. It has become a favorite.

  2. And the Medicine Hat Vanner Pony is done! The head is a little rough, I had the mixture wrong and there is no way this stuff will sand! I am very happy with him. Maybe a little more color on the flanks. The base was painted by stippling blue and yellow for varying shades of green.
    Thank you, Jonni, for sharing this wonderful talent. This is something I have always wanted to do but felt too intimidated. And thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to let the horse tell me what he wants to be.

      • Thank you, Jonni!
        Yes, I decided I better start at the beginning and will start the hen today. She’ll be cute on the kitchen table. And maybe try making a couple little chickies.
        Will share progress (probably not photos).
        Thinking of naming the horse Hanta Yo. “Clear the Way”

        • Holly your horse is beautiful. I’m amazed at all the talented people here. Each time I get on-line I have to check this page out, great stuff 🙂

    • Very nice Holly….One word of warning though…Watch Out!!!!!! Paper mache is addicting…your horse is great and just think with every project you do you get better and better..umm I think we definitely have a natural here 🙂 And I second your thanks to Jonni plus reaffirming her wonderful talent and generosity for sharing her techniques with us all 🙂 Thanks Jonni !

  5. Thank you all so much for the compliments and kind encouragement! I finished the mane, tail, feathers and base this morning, so hopefully later today I can apply a layer of gesso. Then begin painting! A “medicne hat” is a type of tobiano pinto pattern. Lore has it that the Plains Indians set great store by this type of pattern. The patch of color over the horse’s chest signified a “shield” to protect both rider and horse in battle. The bonnet, or patch of color covering only the ears had significance as well, but I don’t remember that part.
    Of course this could also be a piece of whiteman’s romance. A strikingly handsome pattern in any case!

  7. Thanks for your input.
    Sorry you had to go through the chemo.
    He may be in a future children’s book after my “team” and I do Jerome the Giraffe to the Rescue. 🙂 The first children’s book sold out. We are going to run a set of them out to the public soon I think.
    Hope all is well with you.
    The lady’s horse is fantastic!

  8. Jonni, I am now out of chemotherapy and hoping to pick up again on my paper mache. One question; I am sealing my T. Rex with Kilz 2 @ primer. What do you think?

    • It’s good to see you back, Ken. I did a round of chemo myself (almost 16 years ago now) and it wasn’t much fun, so I know how good it is to get back to normal.

      Using the Kilz 2 under your painted finish should work really well. And your T Rex is looking great. Is he a character in one of your books?

    • Ken, I like your T-Rex. And I’m glad you are done with your chemo. I have 2 friends going through it right now and I wish they didn’t have to! All my best to you.

        • Ken, I am doing a lot of paper bead and paper clay jewelry, but I can’t seem to stop experimenting with all kinds of things “paper”! Some turn out – others, not-so-much. 🙂 I’ll have to take some time to take a few pics and show you what I’ve been up to.

  9. I haven’t been able to work on my horse daily, sometimes skipping a week.
    I’m trying to go with the flow and do what the sculpture is hinting at. I created a base, which still needs more work, then attached the horse to the base and began adding feathers to his feet. For the moment he’s whispering in my ear that he would like lots of feathering and lots of mane and tail. And he insists on being a bay “medicine hat” pinto pattern.
    The new batch of clay turned out smoother and much easier to sand.
    This has truly been a fun process. And I should have started with the little hen, but I never do anything as a beginner… jump right in.

  11. Wow, lots of beautiful new work!!! Haven’t checked back here in a while… Have some catching up to do 😀

    I am working on the jaguar baby. Worked outside today and started on the branch that has it’s first layer on now. I’ll probably cover it up with the same material that I used on the elephant but with vermiculite mixed in so it becomes fire resistant amongst others.

    For the jaguar I ‘ll probably work with paper only since my niece wants it to be white with apple green spots to match her rooms main color so I’ll ‘paint’ it with paper snippets which is easier on a smooth newspaper surface.

    Tammy to see a close up on the dolphin just click my name and go to the album of it. You do see the tape lines but I’m thinking of covering it up a bit with almondshaped dots streamlined with the bodyshape of the dolphin so the lines of the tape will no longer pull attention. My niece was here a while back and she loved it. I’m first goint to work on the other projects I’m doing for my nieces and nephews birthdays so that I can leave the final detailing to last according to how much time I have left. The sandpapering doesn’t really seem to work on the duct tape since it roughs up the edges and raffles them.

  12. Hello all- Jonni asked me in another conversation to post my sculptures on the daily sculpture page. These 4 are the ones that I recently submitted to a local art show. The jury process went quite well and was not at all scary now that I am through with it. I encourage any of you to do it if you are so inclined. I will hear next week. I am keeping my fingers crossed that paper mache makes the cut!

    • Hi Eileen. The bunny is very nice – I do hope you get in to the show. By the way, this system can only take one photo per comment, but you’re more than welcome to add the other three images in more comments. I’d love to see them all!

      • Oops- I was not aware. Here is the fox(Ihope). Thanks for the encouraging comments everyone. I will add the next 2 without comments.

        • I cannot decide which pieces are my favorite they are all so good, but I love the heron. that is artistry in motion. Your textures are fantabulous. That is fantastic and fabulous. That fox’s expression is so cute, the turtle is darling. I can’t wait to see your baby jaguar.

      • Here is the heron which is somewhere else on this site near the flamingo. The foliage is also paper mache- I did not cheat!

  13. Does anybody have a problem with people leaving rude comments on “how-to” videos with crafts? I don’t know how many people here do that, but I was curious.

    My Homemade Clay video seems to inspire people to leave rude comments–and I cannot figure out why.

    • I’m sorry you get rude comments on your video! I wish people just wouldn’t repond if they can’t be civil. Don’t let them get you down… 🙂

    • I never get rude comments on this blog. I did have a blog that catered to a younger crowd, and I had to turn the comments off because the kids all left rude comments. The age of the reader seems to have something to do with it. I get a few rude comments on YouTube, but it’s extremely rare. I’m sorry you’re getting that reaction – it can really take the fun out of creating content for the web.

    • Chin up, ignore them and have fun!! Will you be so kind as to share your video with me? I, too, have a recipe & would love to share it with you. It’s actually on here but it’s not a video.

    • Jessica, I’m so sorry to hear that people were rude to you. I personally enjoy viewing the “How -to” videos, I find on Youtube. That’s how I found this group. There are many more people who enjoy your advice and videos than you will know. Being creative sometimes is not understood by some small minded people. Please do not let these people stop you, take care and all best 🙂

      • Thanks for the support, everybody! Actually, I started to realize that one of the people who was recently leaving me comments probably had a crush on me. It is sad that some people’s social skills have not evolved since kindergarten, and they still show a girl that they like them by saying nasty things.

        I also–due to my other interests (doll collecting and video games)–get a younger audience. In fact, it made me realize I do have to be careful about how I respond to videos. Oddly enough, I forgot that young people also have interests in these things because there is also a large adult community that also likes them.

        This is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGwu0y-dY1U&list=PLLdcCbWTBhkpdT5ftqt3bu7nbAgTDOeRM&index=5

        I can’t take credit for the recipe, but I show how to make it. I have a playlist devoted to paper mache. I have actually a lot of playlists devoted to many topics. I pride myself on my variety.

        I expect to get the occasional bad comment. I’m just always surprised by the videos that get them. I expect my video game videos to get trolls because I assume video games would attract those type of people. I just never thought they would be into watching craft videos. Of course, this is my most popular video. I was flabbergasted to see that it had 6,000 views. None of my other videos get that many, and I don’t pay for views despite the many offers I get. So that may attract certain people too. I’m not going to let it stop me, though.

  14. Okay… now i’m going for the big one! This is only the start of my new project. It is going to be big! It will take quite a while to finish. Crazy I know… but it is going to be my TV stand!

  18. Hi Jonni and all you other fine people,
    I always make and use “Jonni Clay” and just love it. I haven’t used anything else except for traditional paper mache (news paper strips and flour paste ). I recently soaked and squished a bunch of news paper into pulp and dried the pulp into balls so that I can use them as I need. That all seem to go well but….. umm there is only one problem that I have…What I don’t know but would love to know is ….now that I have made my newspaper pulp balls what the heck do I mix them with to make a simple clay? I’m thinking a little water and flour but I’m really not sure. I was so excited to see if I could make the pulp in the first place I only thought of the pulp. I have a sculpt I am working on and it is covered in the paper strip method . I am going to start adding details and would like to try the thicker news paper pulp. Any heads up on pit falls or suggestions would really be appreciated.

  19. Hello, Marilyn,
    Unfortunately its not life size. 9.5″ x 9.5″. I wanted to begin small and hopefully I will do a lifesize bust of one of our dogs. Thanks for your comment.

  20. Finished adding the first layer of paper mache clay elephant. now I have to add the second layer to add some textures to it as Jonni’s book suggests. I think I’ll use Jonni Clay 2.0 instead though.

      • Very nice, Jose. I wish my image upload thingy would allow us to click on an image and see it full-sized, so I could see all the smaller images, too. I’ll keep looking for a better solution – there must be one out there.

        • That would be nice but I’m happy with just being able to see images on the website again. Oh my goodness there are so many creative people living up to the purpose of this thread post and really fighting procrastination. It’s always a pleasure to come here and see what people are working on.

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