Made by Naomi Maya
I am a photographer and wanted a cool prop for my Easter photos this year… so I decided to make this egg…
it’s taken WAY longer than I expected because I ran into various problems before finding this site! It’s also my first paper mache project. (Will have to be a prop for next year though! haha)
Next, I just have to figure how to make it smoother… I used joint compound but it was already SO bumpy from the balloon expanding and contracting that it wasn’t enough to make it totally smooth… I also need to put something on the edges to make them not fray out… I’m thinking some kind of glue is necessary…
Here’s what I’ve done so far, in case anyone wants to try it:
Giant white balloon
- First layer – cooked flour recipe with white copy paper (I wanted the inside to be white and not have to paint it)
- Second layer – cooked flour recipe with recycled paper
— Problems: balloon shrank overnight with dropping night temp. in my house, and the paper mache became all wrinkly! Took several days to dry as it’s also humid in my house, so lots of expanding and contracting! Searched for solutions, found Jonni’s idea of wood glue… - Third layer – wood glue and newspaper
— Still very flimsy feeling, and I wanted something sturdier… - Fourth layer – Cloth gauze (now it was hard, wished I just did this from the beginning!)
- Fifth layer – Joint compound (drywall filler in Canada) to help smooth out all the bumps
- Sixth layer ? I still need to smooth it out a bit more, and then I will do a gesso layer and paint layer…. Any tips for that?
Why not use a layer of Jonni’s super smooth air dry clay? It would fill in the dips and come out super smooth. Looks great though and will be an excellent prop.
Hi Naomi. You’re so close! If you have a wide spatula you could add one more layer of joint compound to fill in the rest of the dips, but if that would make a layer that’s too thick, it could crack.
At this point I might get out my little detail sander and see if it would smooth out the bumps without cutting into the plaster cloth too much. It will create a cloud of dust, so if you want to try it, be sure to do it out in the garage – or, even better, in the yard. No matter where you do it, wear a mask!
This might not work, though, because if too much of the plaster cloth is sanded off, you’d end up with a bunch of soft spots, and that would not be helpful. Another coat of the joint compound would be a safer option to try. good luck with it – except for the texture, it looks great! 🙂