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I’ve been experimenting with two new recipes for weatherproof paper mache clay.
Note: We had a vote, and we’re now calling this new recipe “Paper Cement Clay.” 🙂
I should have done these experiments way back in 2013, because that’s when Warren Eggleton wrote a guest post for this website. He showed us how he made his giant pots using a version of our paper mache clay recipe, with the addition of Portland cement.
The last time we heard from him, his pots had been outside for six years, in Australia.
- I recently made a casting of a leaf with this mixture.
- And I sculpted a garden toad to go on the leaf. The new sculptures will be left in my garden over the winter, to see how well they hold up
- And there is now an update video, after the garden toad spent most of a Minnesota winter outside. So far, he seems to be doing OK, but it may depend on the climate and the product used to seal it. Be sure to do your own experiments.
I made some changes to Warren’s version of weatherproof paper mache, just to make sure every batch comes out exactly the same.
I also created two different recipes. One of them contains all the usual ingredients for paper mache clay, but the flour is replaced with Portland cement.
The second recipe leaves out the drywall joint compound, because it’s hard for some people to find.
I tested both of my new recipes by spreading small samples onto cardboard every 30 minutes, to see how long we could continue to use them before they stiffened up too much.
The mixtures will eventually get hard in the bowl because of the Portland cement, but I was able to continue using them for at least 3 hours, with the room temperature at 76° F (24.4 C).
Warren told us in his post that it will get stiff faster in warmer weather.
Test pieces for weatherproof paper mache clay recipe with drywall joint compound.
Test pieces for weatherproof paper mache clay recipe without drywall joint compound.
How the two recipes are different after they dry:
The texture of the recipe that includes the drywall joint compound is smoother – you can see that in the test piece on the right in the image above. However, for an outdoor sculpture, the difference may be so small that it really doesn’t matter.
Try the recipe that you think you’d prefer, and put your sculpture out in the garden.
After it’s been out there for a few months or a year, please come back and let us know if the rain, snow or sun has caused any noticeable damage.
Weatherproof paper mache clay recipe with drywall joint compound:
Note – be sure to watch the video at the top of the page to see how the ingredients were measured and mixed. If you want to make a larger batch, you may want to mix it with a paint mixer attachment on an electric drill.
Mix together:
- 1/2 cup drywall joint compound
- 1/2 cup Elmer’s Glue-All (PVA glue)
- 1/2 cup damp toilet paper or recycled paper*
Mix until there are no lumps of paper in the mixture. Then add and mix well:
- 1 cup Portland cement.
*To see how to weigh the damp paper, watch the video on this page, starting at the 3:06 mark. You’ll need to scroll down the page to find the video. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, soak the paper in hot water, then squeeze out most of the water (but not all of it) and use 1/2 cup of the damp paper.
Weatherproof paper mache clay recipe without drywall joint compound:
Mix together:
- 1/2 cup Elmer’s Glue-All (PVA glue)
- 1/2 cup damp toilet paper or recycled paper*
Mix until there are no lumps of paper in the mixture. Then add and mix well:
- 2/3 cup Portland cement.
More experiments needed!
Warren had great luck with his pots outdoors in Australia. But I can’t know if these recipes will work here in Minnesota until I make a sculpture and leave it outside to see how well it does in our crazy weather.
In fact, we all need to consider these experimental recipes until we’ve had a chance to try them ourselves, in our own climate.
If you experiment with one or both of the recipes, please come back after a few months and let us know how they worked! 🙂
Any suggestions on how to COLOR the cement? I don’t want to risk getting peeling paint.
Thanks!
They actually make special pigments for cement. You can find really basic ones at Home Depot, and lots of other colors from companies that specialize in products for concrete countertops. You can find concrete pigments and stain on amazon.com too, but they’re pretty expensive.
Portland cement is easy to find, but then you must choose from many variations. Different Roman numerals, fast drying, etc. What should I request at Lowes? Thank you for all your suggestions.
The kind I bought at Lowes was called Type I & II – it was actually the only one our store carried.
Hi Jonni. Can you explain why you are soaking the samples in water? Is that to test the structure of the samples or is this a part of the curing process? Thank you for your time and patience.
Hi Linda. I just wanted to see if they would soak up the water, the way our paper mache clay would do. They passed the test. 🙂
I’m trying to create a “bobber type cork” for outside display. I covered a 24” beach ball with 3 layers of starch/flour mache mixture. Would your recipe with joint compound/cement be a good outer layer to apply for weathering?
Hi Tommy. The paper cement clay appears to be weatherproof, as long as you use a good sealer after it cures. I used Rustoleum Matte Clear Enamel, and after a year outside in Minnesota it’s still doing well.
Hi Jonni! This was so cool to read about and I’m super excited to try it myself! I was wondering if you’ve tried storing excess cement clay for future use for following days? Or do you think it would be best to make a fresh batch every time I wanted to use? Thank you 🙂
I haven’t tried that. It would be an interesting experiment, so if you try it, please let us know if it’s still usable after storage.
How is paper cement clay holding up? Is it weathering well??
It’s doing well so far. You can see the latest update on the toad I made here.
Hi and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! I have a question, I am building a large sculpture for outdoors- approx. 6′. I was going to order the Pal Tiya mix but then I saw that you did your year update on your toad and was thinking of using your recipe instead. HOWEVER! I have used wallpaper paste to paper mache brown paper onto the sculpture as a structure layer. Do you think I should coat the whole sculpture that is covered in the paper mache with a clear polyurethane coating first, then use your outdoor clay recipe? Thxs for your help in advance!
Hi Michelle. For something that big, using the Pal Tiya might be the better choice – just because it’s been tested by so many people and for so many years that you’d know yoru sculpture is going to last. I don’t know if anyone has used this paper cement clay for a sculpture that big yet – so you might be the first one to experiment on a large scale.
I know Kim uses crumpled foil under her Pal Tiya sculptures – that’s where I got the idea for using the foil under my paper mache sculptures. I don’t know of anyone who uses any form of cement over paper mache. Sealing it does sound like a good idea, but you might also need to use a metal mesh under the cement layer, to help reinforce it. The crumpled foil serves as the mesh for the Pal Tiya, holding the cement together. The Pal Tiya folks are the experts for large sculptures, so you might want to leave a message on their site and ask about the paper mache. You can find her site here.
I’ve been working in hypertufa lately but love the idea of this new mix you use. I was wondering if I added perlite or vermiculite to get a more rough organic aged looking texture. Have you tried that yet? Making stone figures for my garden and want them to have an aged cement look but be much lighter and your paper mache /cement recipe seems perfect!
I have not had time to do any more experiments – if you try it, please let us know how it turns out. 🙂
I see that there several types, colors, and grades of Portland cement. Exactly what type or brand do you use? I want to get started right away. Happy Spring!
I used the only kind available at my local Lowes store. It’s called Type I/II. I also ordered some white Portland cement to play with, and it should work, but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Have fun!
Hi Jonni,
I would like to know If you found the Cement I / II in white? If so, Can you share the brand? I can’t find it anywhere.
Hi Maryjane. I ordered some from Amazon – mostly because it came in a small package instead of the 90# bags at Lowes. This is the one I bought, several months ago, but I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet. It’s Type I, so I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Hi! Thank you very much for your feedback, I will definately try with this and see How it goes.
I’ve been following you for years, and it’s always a pleasure to see you try new things, while you create great art. I’ve had great success with taking your Wood Glue based one, with adding a few things to base. Your older recipes have been successfully waterproofed and are still fine years later, when I used several coats of clear rubber spray. But last year, I needed shine to my life-sized Demodog, so I used Marine Polyurethane.
It worked perfect and the piece held up well for the few months of Halloween. Thanks again for sharing your expertise.
Debbie, do you happen to have a favorite brand of rubber spray? I’ve heard that the Rustoleum LeakSeal is good. Is that the one you use?
Hello!
thank you for the recipe!
I have 2 questions, first one is would this recipe glue to a piece of wood afterwards or in other type pf paper clay? and also what type of sealer do you use? thank you!
Hi Lara. I’ve only made one sculpture with this recipe so far, because it’s still in the experimental stage. I used E6000 glue to hold two pieces together, and sealed it with Rustoleum Matte Clear Enamel (both products should also be considered experimental until the sculpture has been outside through winter) – you can see that video here.
Be very careful with E6000 glue. It is extremely toxic.
Well im about to try my first paper mache sculpture with your recipe. ( the indoor, until i saw this out door one…ugg so many choices.) I need all the luck i can get. Lol
Thanks
Billie
Welland Ontario Canada
Good luck! And remember that this recipe is still experimental – it hasn’t yet been tested in winter weather. Be sure to come back and let us know if it survived your Ontario winter.
Of course, you can also use this recipe for indoor sculptures, in case you needed one more option. 🙂
Hello! I’m trying to create a large pumpkin topiary for my front porch. I’ve experimented with plaster strips, but a lot will be required to cover 3 beach balls (24”, 12”, 9”). We also painted a thin layer of plaster over the first mache layer, but it took away from the pumpkin indentations made using twine.
Do you have any suggestions? I wondered about using plaster and an old sheet?
Your page is wonderful – thank you!
Hi Leslie. You might like Dan Reeder’s cloth mache. It would go a lot faster. He dips torn strips of an old sheet in a mixture of white glue and water, and puts it on over his dragons. It should work over a pumpkin topiary, too (great idea, by the way!). You might need to put it on in several sittings, because gravity could try to pull it off.
Jonni,
I have my 7+ foot tall Giraffe, head, body and legs, very close to putting your Paper CEMENT Recipe over it. I have several questions that I just want to go over with you…..please….
1. According to what I have read on your website, I should first do a thin layer of Paper Cement on the Giraffe, followed by a thicker coat after the first coat has dried thoroughly.
2. Should I wet down the first coat of Paper Cement a little bit at a time as I add the second layer? Or should I just add the second layer right over the dry first layer?
3. Do you still believe that the two recipes for your Paper Cement (one with Joint Compound, and one with out) seem to spread the same, but the one with Joint Compound seems a bit smoother after it drys?
4. Have you noticed any difference in the drying times, cracking, etc with either of the two recipes? Anything?
I have been working non-stop on this project, and I don’t want to mess it up! Grin If you have more suggestions, let me know…..
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Janice in northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border
Janice, we’re in luck, because Anthony just posted a photo of his witches and cauldron. This is his second project with the paper cement clay. so he has a lot more experience with it than I do. I only made the tiny test pieces with both versions, and my toad is only testing the version with the joint compound and the specific sealer that I used. I did add water to my first layer after it dried, because that’s what you would do if it was concrete, but I don’t know if you really need to. I’d suggest leaving a comment on Anthony’s post, and hope that he responds. He’s our current “expert,” I think.
Can you sand the cured product? I seem to have a hard time getting it as smooth as I would like. The more I touch it the worse it gets. I have to walk away. Can I sand out a few bumps here and there once it’s cured?
Yes, you can sand it, but it does dry really hard. Have you tried smoothing the wet clay with the side of a damp knife?
I am just super excited to try this new recipe out!
I really like the recipe version that uses weight as a measurement, so I don’t spend all day scraping my dedicated measuring cups. I’ll be sure to measure this recipe to get those weights, however I am in a humid climate and it may effect the outcome for those in a dryer climate. would you like me to comment my findings?
Yes please! Even if your weights don’t work perfectly in all environments, it would give us a starting point. Then we could all tweak your recipe to fit our own needs. Have fun with it! (And remember – it’s still experimental, so we don’t know how long sculptures made with it will last outside. 🙂 )
Jonni, I was wondering if the longer the cement clay rests does the consistency become more like a modeling clay? Used for covering our armatures or molding?
It does start to get stiffer after an hour or so, and hardens between three and five hours, depending on the temperature. I wouldn’t want to use it as a solid sculpture, the way you’d use concrete, because it might take too long to dry all the way through, and it might crack. I haven’t tried it, though. Is that what you meant by ‘modeling clay?’
That is what I meant but not using it inches thick, maybe half an inch. I’m gonna try your recipe also.
You are an inspiration.
Thank you Jonni.
Thanks, Sharon.
Thank you Jonni. I haven’t done any paper mache sculptures for too long. You are an
inspiration.
Sharon
Jonni, your articles and videos are such a huge help! I am interested in making some hanging jack-o-lanterns and am considering this recipe (and the bag of rice method in Rex Winn’s guest post) so they will hold up during the Halloween season. But with the concrete in the mix, will it still be possible to cut a panel to remove the bag of rice (or to cut shapes from the pumpkin to create the jack-o-lantern face)? I just want to make sure it won’t make the figure so stiff/hard that I can’t cut into it. Thank you!
Hi Kristina. I haven’t tried doing that, so I can’t say if it’s possible to cut the dried paper cement or not. The original paper mache clay dries really hard, too, so if I was doing it I would make some kind of ‘dam’ to create the hole while adding the material. Maybe tape a strip of plastic around the bottom, rub some oil on both sides, and add the material to the pumpkin. Then when everything is dry, you could pull the two pieces apart.
Do remember, though, that this recipe is still experimental! That’s especially true if water could get inside your pumpkins and stay there for a long period of time. And cement is not waterproof, so be sure to seal them. Watch them carefully, and if they get rained on and then start to feel soft, bring them back inside to dry off. I’m hoping that we get lots of experiments going, but remember that we don’t know how well the material will hold up yet, until we all try it to find out. My toad has not been through three rainstorms, and he’s still doing fine. But it hasn’t had a chance to freeze yet.
I love your work and I watch most of your shows. I wanted to ask you if you have ever tried Engine Enamel, its of course it’s for car engines but they said it sealed the medal, like it might make your work waterproof in a spray. I am sort of house bound, so I can’t try it, or I sure would. I work every day with the clay, love it.
Hi Bev. I haven’t tried engine enamel. In fact, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. But I did use Rustoleum Matte Clear Enamel on my toad. I’ve never used it before, but the ad for it was convincing, and now we’ll find out how well it holds up outside. I’m working on that video now, and it should be online today.
Hi Jonni, love your videos and am using your latest Paper Clay Mache regularly for my fairy house building, works great!
For weather proofing, I discovered an article that tested out various methods, with Marine Varnish being the winner. I coat my finished work with 2 thin coats of it, and it had worked out great! I know Varnish can have fumes, and while it doesn’t bother me, it may for some, so I typically only apply it in a ventilated room.
Thanks, Celena. I tried the marine varnish once, and it cracked as soon as the sun hit it. I must have done it wrong, because I know a lot of people swear by it. Thanks for letting us know it worked for you. BTW, we’d love to see your fairy houses. 🙂
Wow that’s a great idea!!!!! I’m not sure what it is but I have an idea. Thinking it’s heavy duty and can keep oil water ect. Out of engine parts.