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Need a strong, lightweight mask that dries quickly?
Here’s a way to make super-strong paper mache that only needs one layer – and it dries in 12 hours or less.
But yeah, it’s expensive — so only use this method if you need a mask that’s almost indestructible, or if you need to get it done from start to finish in two days or less.
That’s why I recommend using wood glue for all of my Lion King headdress mask patterns. The Titebond III glue is perfect for masks and props.
Unfortunately, my local hardware store only carries tiny bottles of it, and I have many more patterns to design for the Lion King characters. It would cost too much to pay for the little bottles. So I ordered my glue online from amazon.com — the larger bottles are a much better value than the small ones.
If you live near one of the big DIY stores, they’ll have this glue in stock in the bigger containers. My 32 oz bottle cost about $15, and I think it will be enough for four lion headdress masks.
If you’re just starting with your first paper mache project, you might also want to read my new post “how to make paper mache in 5 steps.”
But do remember …
The Titebond III glue is very strong, so use a throw-away container. I ruined one of my bowls by letting the glue dry in it overnight. I couldn’t get it out, no matter how hard I scrubbed. I just made a temporary bowl out of an old yogurt container
Why Titebond III instead of Elmer’s?
Titebond III grabs onto the paper instead of letting it slide around, and in my experience it dries faster than Elmer’s Wood Glue. I tried them both, but the Titebond product worked much better for me. It is expensive, I know. But for a project like this, where you really need the mask to hold up even under a bit of abuse, it’s worth the extra cost.
Mix a small amount of water with the glue..
You only need enough water to make the glue thin enough to brush. You don’t want it so wet that it will saturate the cardboard. If you’re using it over another kind of armature, you’ll still want to have more glue than water in the mix, to get the strongest bond.
Brush on the glue…
OK, I admit that I gave up on the brush after I’d been working for about an hour, but the brush will help you apply only as much glue as you really need.
It really helps if you put one hand on the inside of your mask, to support the cardboard when you press down on the glued paper. To see some tips on applying paper mache strips and paste smoothly, click here.
Let the paper mache dry overnight…
I put my mask on a piece of waxed paper and let it dry overnight. You can see that I didn’t put paper mache on the inside of my mask’s cap, because I didn’t think it would be needed. For a normal face mask, you might want to put paper mache on both the inside and outside of the mask, to make sure it’s nice and strong.
It’s ready to paint after drying overnight …
As you saw in the video, one area inside an ear was still damp the next morning. The glue was applied too thickly, and it pooled in the ear while it sat upside down. It’s a good idea to look over the wet mask and use a paper towel to remove any excess glue, so the entire mask will dry at the same time.
The mask cap is still flexible, but every seam is reinforced with the strong glue and paper. This mask should hold up well, even when worn by middle-school kids during rehearsals and during the Lion King play.
All it needs now is a coat of spray primer, some acrylic paint, and a raffia table skirt for the mane on the adult male lions, like the mane I put on the lion wall mask behind me in my videos.
If you’ve used wood glue with paper mache before, please let us know about your experiences with it. Did you like it? And if you have any ideas for other projects that would benefit from this method, please tell us about them.
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I am making your fox mask and I am ready to paper Mache it. Do you paper Mache both inside and outside? If so, which do you do first? My mask at this point is covered with masking tape both inside and out then gesso inside and out over the tape to make sure the tape holds. Everything is dry.
Susan
Hi Susan. I usually just put paper mache on the outside, because that’s the only part other people will see. If you do put paper mache on both inside and outside, I don’t think it will matter which one you do first. Just make sure that it’s placed over a form or on a surface that helps it retain the right shapes while it’s drying.
Hi Jonni, I’m using this method to paper mache a dog house for my dog before painting. I built the house out of cardboard first, and plan on painting it. It will go inside, but I want to make sure it can hold up to small accidental spills of things nearby (humidifier, water bowl).
Do you have recommendations for how to best seal and paint after the paper mache step? Do you think acrylic gesso and then paint would suffice?
If it won’t be sitting in water, that should work. You could also use a water-based varnish from the hardware store, for a little more protection.
Thank you! I like the idea of adding a varnish for extra protection.
Im so happy I found this and that it looks like you’re responding to comments!
I may have missed if someone asked rhis but did this need to be sanded?
Im mostly curious. Im playing with some small applications of papier-mâché as I prepare to restore some great vintage medical models.
I’m not sure I understand your question. You can sand paper mache, if you use enough layers so that you don’t sand all the way through the paper. I rarely do, but I do sometimes use a thin layer of pre-mixed drywall joint compound over my dried paper mache to make it smooth. You can see how that works on this page: https://www.ultimatepapermache.com/smooth-paper-mache
Hi Jonni, I am a newbie! I am making gingerbread people for my outdoor Christmas display. I’m using foam board insulation as my base and have put a layer of your paper concrete paste down. I feel like I’d like it smoother. Do you think a mix of pva glue and joint compound would work to have a smooth layer? I plan on sealing it and painting it.
Hi Karen. You could just use the joint compound, if you use a thin layer. That might be easier. When it dries you can ‘sand’ it with a lightly damp sponge. It isn’t waterproof at all, but if you’re sealing it and painting it with outdoor latex paint, it should old up for your Christmas display.
I currently have three layers surrounding an exercise ball as a base for a wearable costume. I am on a time crunch. Can I dip the paper in the wood glue mixed with water and put it on the already formed dry layers (previously used Elmer’s school glue and water)?
If the layers area already dry, adding more layers with the wood glue will work just fine. To make that layer even stronger, use just glue, without adding the water. It will dry faster that way, too. And be sure to put it in front of a fan, if you’re in a really big hurry. 🙂
Would this glue work with the blue shop towels you have used in projects?
Thank you for sharing your creativity and time. You’ve made many parents’ lives easier…
I can’t remember trying it, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. The towels would absorb more of the glue, but it would dry very hard and strong. You might want to thin the glue with just enough water to make it thin enough to work with easily, maybe a 60% glue, 40% water – but that’s just a guess. If you use more than one layer, allow the first layer to dry first and then add the second layer. One layer might actually be enough. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
You are amazing for offering a response on your own time.
We will share the final product for sure.
Thank you.
This is a great tip I intend to try but if you really need paper mache to dry quickly, the oven can be very helpful.
Assuming the piece will fit in the oven without being close to the elements, setting the oven to its lowest temperature can really help dry faster & dry thicker paper mache.
Best not to have any plastic wrap on tne piece too. I’m making shades for a lamp I’m building. Commercial ones are quite expensive but I think paper mache will serve very well and cost far less.
Good tips, Karen. Thanks. I hope your lamp shades turn out really nice. 🙂
Thanks for all the inspiration, Jonni. Would brown paper bag strips work with the Titebond III method? I don’t have the paper that comes in Amazon boxes. Thanks!
The paper bag paper is usually a bit stiffer than the kind that comes in the amazon boxes. Try a few pieces and see if they’re soft enough to form around the shapes of your armature. If you don’t like the way it’s working, just use newspaper. It works well with the wood glue.
Do you have to seal the TiteBond before painting? What kind of paint can be used? Spray paint? Acrylic craft paint?
I like to use an acrylic gesso or a spray primer before I start painting. It makes it easier to get nice colors. And you can use spray paint for the final colors – I prefer the ones that aren’t quite as shiny, like Rustoleum’s Ultra Matte or Chalked Paint. Our local hardware doesn’t carry those, and Walmart is a long drive from here, so I don’t use spray paint very often. When I do, it’s for the base coat, but I mostly use acrylic paint.
How many layers can be done using the wood glue? I am making a pumpkin “vase” and want to make sure the sides are strong and won’t collapse.
I think you can make as many layers as you want. But don’t add too many wet layers at once, because you need it to dry all the way through. You can always add more layers to dried layers, to make it really strong.
Hey! As an art student with an very time-limiting examination soon (only 5 hours to work…) I was wondering if you could recomend any materials, somewhat similar to paper mache, that I could use. It has to be something that dries very quickly – like 3 hours maximum – and is strong enough to stay in shape. At the moment I would like to I would like to cover a canvas with folded chicken wire and then cover the wire structure with this myserious material (which I will paint on top of) to make my piece 3D (simulating an wrinkeled bedsheet). I am curious if you have any tips! Thanks for this post, it has been helping me a lot!
The fastest-drying form of paper mache is to use Titebond III wood glue with torn strips of paper. You’ll need to use just one layer, and put it in front of a fan to get it to dry that fast. Or you could skip the paper mache and use masking tape, like I did for the 3-hour wolf mask – but be sure to use a brand of tape that will not curl up on the corners. Good luck! 🙂
Thank you so much, this has been very helpful! I will look into it.
I saw this post a good while back. Maybe 2 or more years ago. I’ve used the titebond to paper mache/decoupage for the skin over a full size plastic halloween skeleton. When dried it looks just like mummy flesh. I’ve made trees with and it looks amazingly just like tree bark. And it’s rock hard like a simpler cheaper epoxy. Its like a hard plastic. I’ve also used tissue paper and even craft paper! Which I made the sarcophagus. Thanks for the great tip. I’ve taken your idea and ran with it to great success.
That’s great! Have you shown us any of your creations on the Daily Sculptors page? We’d love to see them. 🙂
hi jonni – thanks for the site and all the great tips.
i have a question – do you think strips using titebond would stick to leather without using plastic wrap as a barrier? i want to use an old pair of leather shoes as a form.
thanks!
dave
Yes, the wood glue will stick to leather. Did you intend to leave the shoes inside your finished sculpture?
hi – no i was going to take the paper mache shell off and paint it. i made one using a cow skull but i did cover that with plastic wrap. i used tissue paper – the kind you wrap presents with – and it worked really well as far as picking up details.
thanks
Hello!
I’m thinking about making a special gift for an olympic athlete: a bag modelled after an ancient lifting stone (Bybon stone). Do you think I could make something out of paper mache durable enough, maybe using this method? It would be used a lot in his travels.
I don’t think it would work, but I could be wrong. The bag would be constantly flexed, and I’m sure it would start to crackle and even tear apart. Wouldn’t canvas be a better option?
Do you think if using this method it would still release off a mold you use to make a shape? Like a balloon to make a circle? or turning a bowl upside down to make a half circle etc? Id love to do this but worried I’ll glue everything to the mold.
Most things won’t stick to rubber, so the balloon would probably work – but I haven’t tried it. If you use a bowl, put some plastic wrap over the bowl first. Titebond III wood glue sticks really good to most things, so you could ruin the bowl if you don’t put plastic wrap down first.
Hello! I’m making a cloche type hat out of paper mache and was wondering if flour and water would be strong enough or if I should use this really strong recipe. I would prefer to not have to pay for the expensive glue, but I don’t know if flour and water would be strong enough for a piece to wear.
Hi Olivia. You can use the flour and water paste, but you might want to use a couple of extra layers of paper strips. It won’t hold up for wearing every day, but for a special occasion or a costume, it should work just fine. Have fun! 🙂
Hi Jonni! Your creations are so incredible! I cannot wait to dive into your paper mache animal book!
I ordered the dragon mask pattern and I intend to share in this with a group of 10 older elementary students. We’re all going to make a mask together 🙂
I intend to use the titebond III wood glue for the project. It just seems the most sturdy as well as the quickest for the students – considering this will most likely already be a three day project for them without mixing their own paste (although I bet they would love making the recipe as well!). Still, the titebond seems like the best option.
Now, I was curious about the ratio of glue to water. I know you mentioned to have only a little bit of water. But do you by chance have a specific ratio I could teach the kiddos with? What should the consistency look and feel like? If we were to pour it into a 16 oz container – how much should the glue fill the container versus the water?
I appreciate your time and help with this! Honestly, the community you have created with your creations is so inspiring! I am absolutely delighted by all that you share in!
Thank you so much!
Hi Jannelle. Lately, I have been skipping the water completely, and just use the glue straight out of the container. I can’t see any real difference in the final output, but if I had to guess, I wouldn’t use more than 10% water. I hope you and your students have a lot of fun making your dragons!
Hi Jonni,
Question for you. I’m attaching a giraffe head to a bike helmet. I’ve covered the giraffe in masking tape. I’m planning to use duct tape to secure the giraffe head to the helmet. If I the cover the entire bike helmet in duct tape as well, do you think I could then cover the entire thing (the giraffe and helmet) with the super strong paper mache to make it cohesive?
That’s an interesting question – and I’m not sure if I can answer it. I’ve never tried the wood glue over duct tape. The tape has a form of plastic on the back, I think, so it’s possible that it won’t hold. But I suspect that it probably will. You could test it by sticking a bit of tape on a scrap piece of cardboard, and then stick a piece of paper to it with the wood glue. Let it dry, and see how easy it is to pull off. If it doesn’t want to stick, you might need to cover the duct tape with masking tape. I don’t think the duct tape will add a lot of strength to the giraffe neck and head, so you might not want to cover anything except the connecting seam between the neck and helmet.
Hallo
Mein Name lautet Manuela. Ich finde ihre Arbeiten ganz wundervoll? sie verwenden eine…
vorgemischte Trockenbau-Fugenmasse..die ich hier in Deutschland nicht bekomme. Meine Fragen dazu sind: worauf muss ich achten wenn ich die Fugenmasse kaufen möchte?
Welche Zutaten dürfen NICHT in dieser Fugenmasse enthalten sein?
Es wäre sehr hilfreich wenn Sie mir das übersetzen könnten.
Liebe Grüße Manuela
aus Deutschland ?
We’ve been told that drywall joint compound is called Fugenspachtel in German. The ingredient you don’t want is boron, but the labels rarely include all the ingredients in products made for the construction industry.
Per Google translate: Uns wurde gesagt, dass die Trockenbau-Fugenmasse auf Deutsch Fugenspachtel heißt. Der Inhaltsstoff, den Sie nicht haben möchten, ist Bor, aber auf den Etiketten sind selten alle Inhaltsstoffe von Produkten aufgeführt, die für die Bauindustrie hergestellt werden.
what kind of paper is that which you used on the lion mask ? and do you know the thickness ?
I used the brown paper that comes in amazon.com boxes. It’s slightly thicker than newspaper, but recycled newspaper would work, too.
Hi! Did you use paper strips dipped in the wood glue mixture or paint the paper strips on with the wood glue? Or did you simply paint the wood glue straight in your sculpture without using any paper strips? How heavy is it when it dries? I am making a fairly big project that needs to be hung. I would like to try this method but am curious if it would make my project too heavy. Thanks!
Hi Leah. I dipped the paper strips in the glue, but you can use a paint brush to spread the glue on the sculpture first, and then stick the paper on. I think dipping is easier, but it’s a personal choice. You do need the paper, though. The final weight will depend on how many layers of paper mache you use. The glue itself adds very little weight. If the armature you’re using is strong enough, you might not need more than one layer if you’re using the wood glue, so it may be your lightest option.