The recipe for paper mache clay
- 1 1/4 cups damp toilet paper
- 1 cup premixed drywall joint compound in a plastic tub* see note below before purchasing joint compound!
- 3/4 cup Elmer’s Glue-All or any PVA glue
- 1/2 to 1 cup white flour (adjustable)
- 2 tablespoons mineral oil (optional)
*Important: (Elmer’s Glue won’t work with DAP. If you use DAP, use Gorilla Wood Glue, instead of Elmers. Wurth brand joint compound will not work with any glue.
If you have a kitchen scale, you can use this recipe with gram measurements.
You can also make colored paper mache clay – click the link to see how.
What does it look like when it’s dry?
If you’d like to see what your sculpture might look like when you use this recipe, I finished many of my sculpture and mask patterns with paper mache clay, or with a combination of this recipe and traditional paper strips and paste.
Yes, I do sometimes use both. The clay doesn’t like covering the sharp edges of ears, and it’s easier to wind narrow strips of paper and paste around long thin shapes, like the wire used for bird legs or tiny animal sculptures.
For everything else, I use paper mache clay or one of the variations of this recipe.
Why I Created the Recipe for Paper Mache Clay:
Over ten years ago I became frustrated with traditional paper strips and paste. I couldn’t get fine details, like I could when sculpting with real clay. It took too much time to add all those layers of paper mache. And it was messy.
But I wanted to sculpt, and paper mache was the only affordable option.
That’s why I created this original (and still my favorite) recipe for paper mache clay.
- It’s affordable.
- It uses common ingredients that you can find at your local DIY store or Walmart.
- And it helps you create beautiful sculptures that you can be proud of. This is not the kind of paper mache you made back in grade school!
I put this recipe for paper mache clay on this blog and on YouTube about ten years ago. It has now been used by millions of people around the world, and I get emails and comments every day from people who tell me they love it!
How do you use it?
You use a knife to apply paper mache clay in a really thin layer over your armature, almost like frosting a cake. You only need a very thin layer, because it dries hard and strong, even with as little as 1/8″ applied to your sculpture.
How long will it last?
Once the material is completely dry, painted and sealed, it will last for years.
When it’s still in the bowl, it will last several days if you cover it tightly to keep it from drying out. Put it in the fridge if you can’t use it again for a week or two, because the organic materials in the recipe can attract mold while it’s still wet. If you want it to last longer, put it in the freezer, and it will last indefinitely.
Can you sand it?
Yes, but I almost never do. Paper mache clay dries really hard, and sanding it is a pain in the rear. Plus, you need to wear a mask, because you don’t want the fine powder in your lungs.
And you probably want to do it outside, because that fine dust will go all over your house.
What do I do instead? I use drywall joint compound, which I always have on hand because it’s one of the main ingredients of the recipe. To see exactly how I do it, watch my video that shows you how to make paper mache smooth without sanding.
(And yes, it works with traditional paper strips and paste, too.)
When I really have to sand my paper clay I use my little electric sander.
Are there other options?
Yes, there are several alternative recipes. Go ahead and try them all, and see which one you like best.
- If you like to create fine details, the way you might if you were using real clay or polymer clay, try the silky-smooth air dry clay recipe. It uses the same ingredients, plus corn starch, but there’s less paper in the mix so it’s great for detailed textures and details. Many readers have also used it in small silicone molds for jewelry, and they say it works well. I haven’t tried that yet, myself, so do some experiments to see if it works for you.
- If you need a recipe that can be used for outdoor sculptures, check out the paper cement clay recipe. It’s only been tested for a little over a year so far, so consider it experimental – but many people have had very good luck with it.
- If you need a recipe that can be used with any brand of joint compound, use my new favorite paper mache clay recipe.
How to make paper mache clay:
You’ll need several large bowls, some measuring cups, a spoon and an electric mixer.
The supplies you need for paper mache clay are:
Elmer’s Glue-All, or any PVA glue. Most white glue will work. The Clear Glue from the Elmer’s company also works.
Drywall joint compound – any brand except DAP or Wurth. Those brands don’t work because they turns into rubber when mixed with glue. If you can’t find any brand except DAP or Wurth, use this recipe instead. (It’s a very new recipe, and it’s now my favorite. 🙂 )
If you aren’t sure what joint compound is called in your country, click here.
Note: There is a warning on the joint compound container that says you should wear a mask when you sand it because it contains silica. Silica is a very hard mineral (most sand is made out of silica) and you don’t want the fine powder in your lungs. I never sand paper mache clay myself, but if you do, be sure to wear a mask. (You should wear a mask when you sand anything!)
To make your paper mache clay smooth without sanding, watch this video.
White flour. The flour thickens the paper mache by soaking up the water. If you can’t use the flour for any reason, you’ll want to use this variation of the paper mache clay recipe instead.
Toilet paper. Any brand will work, so buy the cheapest brand you can find.
Some people use recycled paper instead. In fact, ever since the toilet paper shortage in early 2020, more and more people have made the recipe with old newspapers or the brown paper that Amazon.com uses inside it’s cartons. The texture of the final mix may be slightly different, but recycled paper works just fine. To see a video about using recycled paper in paper mache clay, click here.
Mineral oil (baby oil) or linseed oil – this is totally optional. The oil changes the ‘feel’ of the paper mache clay while you’re working with it, but the recipe works just fine without it. Don’t use boiled linseed oil if children will be helping you with your sculpture, because it contains chemicals.
More patterns for paper mache:
Related Posts:
Step 1: Soak and measure your paper.
The first thing we need to do is get our paper ready. We want about a cup and a quarter of wet paper. You can use any cup to measure with – it doesn’t have to be exact.
Put the paper in hot water to get it wet, and press it down into a measuring cup until you have about a cup and a quarter of wet paper. Then put it back in the hot water. You want all the paper fibers to be separated. Just swirl the paper around with your fingers and the toilet paper will completely fall apart.
Step 2: Press out the water.
You want to press most of the water out of the paper, but you have to be really careful that you don’t press out too much.
If you press out so much of the water that it’s almost dry, it won’t fall apart when you run your mixer. You’ll end up with big globs and bumpy lumps in your paper mache clay.
So go ahead and test it in your hand. Can you push it around and have it come apart, even though most of the water has been pressed out? Then you’re good to go.
Step 3: Add joint compound and glue to the paper mache clay mixture.
Now you can add the drywall joint compound and glue, and start mixing.
What is drywall joint compound? This product is made for the construction industry when they build interior walls. The joint compound is used to cover the edges between two sheets of drywall (also called gypsum board, plaster board and sheet rock). You’ll find it in the paint department at Walmart, or in any DIY store.
If you live in a country where they don’t make flat walls out of plasterboard or drywall, you won’t be able to find drywall joint compound in your stores.
A lot of people ask me, “Can you make paper mache clay without drywall joint compound?” No, you can’t – this recipe requires the joint compound.
If you can’t find the joint compound in your country or if you don’t want to use it, this site has projects that use the traditional paper mache mixture of softened paper and paste.
Mix your paper, joint compound and glue for several minutes. You want the mixer to tear all of the paper fibers apart so it’ll be nice and smooth.
Step 4: Add the flour and oil.
You’re going to use the white flour to thicken the paper mache clay. The flour soaks up the excess water in the mixture, and makes it easier to spread the paper mache or create sculpted details.
The amount of flour you need depends on how you want to use your paper mache clay, and how much water was left in the paper. Just keep adding more until you get the consistency you want.
For instance, if you want a really thin layer like I use when I’m covering my mask patterns, or when I want to create a hard solid surface with my first layer, I’ll use a small amount of flour to make a really thin mixture of the paper mache clay.
But when I want to add texture, or if I want to actually sculpt with the paper mache clay like I did with my snowy owl, then I’ll add more flour.
A note about the beaters: I add 1/2 cup of flour to start with, using the standard beaters. When I need more flour, I’ll switch to the dough hooks.
My mixer didn’t come with the dough hooks, like this one does, but I use some old ones I have from another mixer, and they fit.
If you don’t have the bread-mixing beaters, the paper mache clay has a tendency to crawl up the standard beaters. The mixture will also become very heavy, and could burn out the motor in a small mixer if you use the standard beaters.
Another option is to mix the flour in by hand.
An alternative to a kitchen mixer: If you need to mix up a lot of the paper mache at one time, perhaps for a workshop or a very large project, you can use a paint mixer attachment for an electric drill instead of a of a kitchen mixer, and a plastic pail instead of a bowl.
Step 5: Apply your paper mache clay to your armature.
Use a knife to spread a thin layer of paper mache clay over your armature. If you’ll be using the paper mache clay to add finer details, it’s easiest if you put on a thin layer first and let it dry. Then you have a solid surface for your final sculpting.
Almost any of the projects on this site can be made with paper mache clay. You’ll find them all in the Art Library. There’s a link to that page at the top of the site, so you can always come back to it. That’s also where you’ll find other recipes, like the smooth air dry clay and the paper mache clay without flour.
For a fast start on a project, choose one of my mask and sculpture patterns. Any of the patterns can be used with either paper strips and paste or this paper mache clay recipe.
Have fun!
Hello, Jonni, Thank you for all the great information. This may be a silly question, but I am curious how you clean out the bowl you used to mix the clay in? I do some mosaic work with grout, so am careful about plumbing and want to be sure I am going to be doing proper clean up with this paper mache clay before I make it. Any tips?
Thanks!
Hi Felicia. If you don’t use the recipes that contain either plaster or cement, you can just wash the bowl and other tools in the sink. I suppose the exception would be if you decide to use powdered joint compound instead of the pre-mixed drywall joint compound that the recipes call for. The powdered versions do contain plaster, so you wouldn’t want them anywhere near your plumbing. But the recipe on this page, and the new version that uses home-made glue instead of Elmers are OK to wash in the sink. Have fun with your projects!
Thank you for the information, Jonni! I will look at the new version of your recipe.
Happy New Year!
Felicia
Saludos desde Colombia, amo el papel maché para trabajarlo en la escuela con los niños, a parte de que es un material de bajo costo y ayudamos al medio ambiente trabajando con materiales reutilizables. En este momento me encuentro haciendo una investigación de diferentes artistas a nivel global que trabajan esta técnica y te encontré, me enamoré de tu trabajo, ojalá muchos sigamos tu legado, quisiera saber si tienes una biografía tuya en la web?
I’m so glad you enjoy my work and the website. I have a few words about myself here. 🙂
Hi Jonni, with the paper mache clay when it is dry will you be able to use the sculpture outside if you seal it or is it only for indoor areas?
Hi Belinda. I treat my paper mache clay sculptures the same way that I treat sculptures made with paper strips and paste. I keep them inside. However, we do have a guest post from Linda Bunnel, who has had some luck making outdoor sculptures with it. I haven’t tried her method yet, but you can see her post here.
I accidentally put 1 cup of wood glue, does it matter? And if so how do I fix it if its fixable?
A l so can I bake it at 245 degrees to speed up drying?
Hi Diana. I’ve never tried wood glue with this recipe. Is it reasonably smooth? Or is it lumpy? If it’s smooth, it should dry hard, I think – but that’s just a guess. Try spreading a thin layer on a small piece of scrap cardboard, and let it dry to see if it gets hard when it dries. I put paper mache clay with Elmer’s glue in the oven all the time, and it works just fine as long as there isn’t anything on the sculpture that might melt, like hot glue.
Katy Perry wore a bra that looked like cupcakes in a video and I was wonder how and if I could use your paper mache clay to make one? I tried to attach a picture and I couldn’t so if you want to see the picture please goggle Katy Perry in cupcake outfit, she has blue hair in the video!!! I am trying not to disappoint my grand daughter and her friend by not being able to make this!!
Hi Linda. You could use the paper mache clay recipe for the cupcake frosting, but keep the layers as thin as possible so the bra doesn’t get too heavy. It’s getting more difficult to find the right combination of joint compound and glue brands, so I now recommend using this recipe instead. It has home-made glue, so you can use any brand of pre-mixed joint compound.
Have fun!! 🙂
Hello,
This may be a silly question, but you mentioned how you could freeze leftover paper mache. Do you just put it in a ziploc and defrost it in the fridge to use?
Thank you!
I rarely have any paper mache clay left over, but it is possible to put it in a airtight container and freeze it. It will defrost in the refrigerator. If you were asking about paper mache paste, I never keep any that’s left over – I just toss it out and make some more when I need it. I hope that helps. 🙂
Would this crack when it dries? like air dry clay does?
I’m planning on using this for a elementary school project wrapping it around little jars and making little fairy mushroom houses
Hi Nicole. Yes, it will crack if you put it over a solid item, like a glass jar. I don’t know of any water-based product that doesn’t shrink when it dries. The paper fibers reduce the cracking, but it can’t prevent it completely if the item under the paper mache clay is hard. Could you use cardboard tubes for your mushroom houses, instead?
Joining, I bought paper mache pulp, all ready made. I did a leaf but it took awhile to dry. I’d like to know if I can use Dap in it.
Thank you, u do awesome work.
Hi Debbie. Do you mean using drywall joint compound over your paper mache to make it smooth? I don’t use any commercial brands of paper mache, so you’d need to experiment with it.
Jonni, I was thinking that the dry wall spackling went in the paper mache while still wet then use it. I did a leaf and it took a week or so to dry. Mine is from Hobby Lobby just ready to add water. 100% pure white paper pulp. I may have misunderstood. Thank for conversing with me.
Hello, is this susceptible to molds due to its flour content? thank you!
Yes, you need to treat it the same way you would with paper mache, to prevent mold. Use thin layers, and make them dry as fast as possible. The seal the piece with paint and varnish to keep it from absorbing moisture from the air. Mold can’t grow without water.
Hi, thanks for replying, appreciate it! Another question, we use shredded office paper for our project, is there anything that I can replace with flour or constarch to make it smoother? Thanks again!
I make mine smooth by using toilet paper instead of recycled paper. The flour or corn starch only soaks up the excess water in the mix. You might want to let your paper soak longer, or mix it longer, but it will never be quite as smooth as it would be if you use toilet paper because the individual fibers are thicker from regular paper.
Hi Jonni,
Thank you very much for your usual insights on papier-mâché – I’m glad I came across your website.
I’m working on making an urban bench for an outdoor space here in the UK, but I couldn’t find any information on your site about creating a durable and waterproof recipe. Could you please advise me on this?
Very best wishes,
TT
Hi TT. We do have a weatherproof paper mache clay recipe that was submitted by one of our readers. You can see it here. But I don’t think it would be a good choice for an outdoor bench. Concrete would be stronger, and it’s been tested for a few thousand years. Our weatherproof recipe is intended to be used in a thin layer over an armature, for sculptures, but I don’t think anyone has tested it yet for something like a bench.
Hi Jooni,
Thank you very much for your detailed response. I’m currently working on an article about making papier-mâché waterproof, even for use in rainy cities like those in the UK. I’m therefore looking for a method or material that could make this possible.
Very best wishes,
TT
https://youtu.be/45JhacvmXV8
I just saw this today. It should help you.
Hi! This will be my first paper mache project. I don’t have a hand mixer I can use. Will mixing it by hand be okay? Also, can I substitute elmers glue for mod podge?
I don’t know about the Mod Podge. Different brands of the drywall joint compound mix well with certain brands of glue. If you try the mod podge and it doesn’t work, you can use the recipe that has a home-made glue, instead. You can see it here.
What do you think might happen if I tried wall putty instead of joint compound? I’m trying to see how much of this project I can do with stuff I already have at home so I wondered. I may experiment with a small amount or I may break down and go to the store but I’d love your thoughts!
I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know if it will work. You can test it by making a very small batch and spreading it thinly on a piece of cardboard. After it dries, you’ll be able to tell if it’s strong and hard, or if it cracks or crumbles. If you do experiment with it, please let us know how your test turned out, and what brand of wall putty you were using. 🙂
Hi. Where I live, joint compound and drywall mud are the same thing. Drywall mud is what I use. It works great.
Sandy
This is a great recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 This may be a silly question- but do you use a separate set of beaters for this recipe than you do for baking? Or is it ok to just clean off the joint compound mixture and then use them for baking again?
I found a really cheap mixer at WalMart, and I use it in the studio. I have another cheap mixer in the kitchen. The beaters can be cleaned, but the paper mache clay tends to creep up into the holes where the beaters attach to the mixer, and it’s hard to clean it out.
Thank you so much for the recipe I started using it last night and I was wondering how long it should take to dry. We are coming up on 12h and it is still very wet to touch.
It will take at least 24 hours to dry all the way through, but I usually try to give it longer. It really depends on how thickly it’s applied, and whether or not your weather is humid or dry. Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry all the way through before painting it.
Hey Jonni! I’m wanting to try this recipe for prop making (specifically a full body humanoid rod puppet), so it needs to be very light. How much would you say it weighs after drying? Thanks!
It really depends on how thickly it’s applied. I haven’t done any testing with different thicknesses per square foot or anything. If it’s a concern, you might want to make up a small batch to see if it will work for your project or not. It will be heavier than a foam costume, but I can’t say exactly how much.
Got it, thank you ?
I have used this clay for masks. If you have a very lightweight form and use a thin layer it should work beautifully. It can get heavy if it is too thick.
Thanks for the input – we all appreciate it. 🙂
Is it possible to make without a hand mixer? I want to make this with a class of teens but we won’t have it in out budget to get a hand mixer.
If you’re making enough paper mache clay for a whole class, it would be really hard to mix it by hand. The paper fibers need to be very well dispersed within the mixture. Do you have a power screwdriver and a paint mixing attachment, by any chance? Also, you might want to consider the recipe that uses a hand-made paste in place of the Elmer’s glue, to save some money for your large batch.
You don’t say when to add the oil?
Hi Andi. You add the oil with the flour. Thanks for letting me know that I forgot to mention that in the post, so I just now added it. 🙂
Is there any way to bring up the most current video after you’ve accidently lost it? I only have a cell phone.
The easiest way is to subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UltimatePaperMache
Hello Jonni,
Finding your website has been very useful, so first of all: thanks for what you do!
Now, I have been thinking of doing pins, as little ornaments to put on clothes, with this recipe, based on you experience do you think it will work?
Hugs from Germany,
Fernanda
Maybe, but it won’t stick to metal. Have you considered using Apoxie Sculpt instead? You’d be able to sculpt much finer details, and it’s very strong.
Hi there, I am working with children. I am concerned about the safety of drywall compound if I design a lesson using this recipe. Is there a child-friendly version of this recipe? Or is drywall compound safe to use with children?
Warmly,
Maria
Hi Maria. If your students are young enough to eat their art supplies, this recipe wouldn’t be a good choice. It also needs to be spread in a very thin layer over an armature, using a knife. Many younger children don’t have enough dexterity to do that. Also, some schools don’t allow the use of drywall joint compound in art projects – if it’s sanded, it makes very fine dust that isn’t safe for anyone to breath. I never sand mine, but you’d want to check with your school before using the recipe. If you’re working with young children, the traditional paper strips with raw flour and water paste still works great.
Hello there!!! I dont want to use toilet paper… Can i use the same weigth in shreder wet/soaked paper?
You can use recycled paper if it’s soaked long enough to break the fibers apart. But I don’t know the correct weight of every kind of paper. You could do an experiment with the recipe and see what works best for you.