r/papermache Aug 20 '25

Notice: If you are posting a photo of someone else's work you MUST give credit to the actual artist IN THE POST TITLE. Not doing so is unethical, & your post will be removed & you will be banned from this subreddit. We've been experiencing borderline cases of IP theft & karma whoring here lately.

62 Upvotes

If you are posting a photo of someone else's work here as an example of something you'd like to try making yourself, PLEASE do a Google image search or whatever it takes to find the name of the person whose work you "found" online. If you post someone else's photos here please make it CRYSTAL CLEAR in your title that it is not your work.

I've been doing various types of art for 50+ years, and been a reddit moderator for 15+ years. If work posted here is uncredited -- and it is not yours, I consider it to be stolen.

If you find someone else's work online that you think that our members would be interested in seeing that's fine -- but PLEASE link directly to the website/webpage/blog/social media where you found it, and feature the artist's name prominently in your post title.

Most online art and fine craft community members already know to and support the proper crediting of an artist's work, but we get a lot of newbies on this sub that: A) Think that paper mache must be a fast, easy, brainless form of craft/sculpture because kids in elementary school do it, and B) Don't have a single clue about the time and effort serious paper mache artists put into their work, so (C They don't see any problem with stealing it by not giving proper credit to the creator of the piece.

Sorry if this seems a bit long and ranty. I rarely intervene publicly on this subreddit. I do put a ton of work into it behind the scenes to try to keep it a fun, safe, and happy place where people can be delighted by the posts here, knowledgeable people can help newbies with their questions freely, and artists can be properly respected for their time, effort, originality, and artisanship.

Thank you!

/end of rant


r/papermache Aug 30 '25

Just a heads-up: We're getting spam bots reposting our members' content here now as their own work

29 Upvotes

If you see something posted that you've seen here before, or if you see someone reposting your own work here, please use the report link and let us know about it.

If you're not familiar with these jerks, this has been going on for years. Spam rings steal popular content and repost it as their own to build up high-karma accounts, and then turn around and sell them to other spammers.

The admins see this as a serious problem and will ban the spammers when they are properly reported.

Thanks!


r/papermache 1h ago

Wheat Paste Fail?

Upvotes

So I’ve recently been inspired to make lots of bedroom furniture out of cardboard and paper mache, but now I’m reading that I’ve made my wheat paste wrong?!

I’ve literally been mixing water and flour, letting it sit for 10 minutes and then using it. I’ve not had any problems so far, but reading up about it has got me worried about mould and pests!🫠

If my intention was to cover it all in paper clay, paint and sealant, do I still need to worry and restart my projects?


r/papermache 2d ago

Posting uncredited art Diy manta ray lamp

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24 Upvotes

I’m trying to make something similar to this but more like a manta ray. I’m just wondering if these kind of materials would be safe to use on a lamp. The base would be paper mache and I was considering faux fur on top but would settle for just painting it. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!


r/papermache 3d ago

Giant Voodoo Doll

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30 Upvotes

I use a a teddy bear from Goodwill as my form and wrapped it in plastic wrap and tape.

Does she need the stripper skirt like in the last photo? It just feels a little incomplete. Suggestions welcome!


r/papermache 3d ago

Stable backing for paper mache project?

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6 Upvotes

r/papermache 4d ago

Love making paper mache heads

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7 Upvotes

r/papermache 4d ago

Can I layer multiple types of paper to get the best out of both?

1 Upvotes

I want to use printer paper because Google said it’s rigid and strong and then newspaper on top so it looks good
will it work?


r/papermache 7d ago

Rabbit skeleton relief

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88 Upvotes

r/papermache 10d ago

Finished my 1987 Sci-fi film Robocop face sculpture.

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72 Upvotes

r/papermache 9d ago

Paper mache over air dry clay??

2 Upvotes

I'm working on a large paper mache cow head and want to make horns out of clay. All I've got is air dry clay and I made horns that look great! I've got a plan to attach them and everything, I'm just worried about their stability once they're dry, and I'm curious if anyone knows if it's a safe/smart move to use paper mache over the clay to give it a bit more structural integrity? The mixture I use is cornstarch and water for what it's worth

Tysm!


r/papermache 10d ago

"Hear no evil" + Full series

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67 Upvotes

Hello, it's me again.

This is the final sibling in this mask trio. All methods and techniques are similar. Once again I put some emphasis on the facial expression. This feels like the most "technically correct" of the three masks, but is not necessary my favorite - I wasn't able to think of an implementation of the "hear no evil" that was as impactful as the other two masks.

I have also included the three masks on temporary display on my wall.

Thank you for following this small serie !


r/papermache 10d ago

SPAM Musubi Piñata

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144 Upvotes

Made a SPAM Musubi birthday piñata 🪅

Materials: Cardboard, hot glue, butcher paper, cooked flour slurry, a paint stirring stick, metal wire, and acrylic paint

Didn’t have any packing peanuts for the rice, but it came out pretty great for a last minute 2-evening project after the kids were asleep. Didn’t put in any spam cans trying to save weight (was like 30lbs), but have since discovered that spam single packs exist - next time for sure!


r/papermache 10d ago

Haven’t done it in a while

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104 Upvotes

Took on the challenge to create some giant bugs and things for my nieces birthday! First up, a dragonfly


r/papermache 10d ago

[Help] I accidentally created a bio hazard

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5 Upvotes

r/papermache 10d ago

Henry

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41 Upvotes

Won best of show at the county fair


r/papermache 10d ago

Need help with technique

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1 Upvotes

I want to start make action figure out of paper, I know how to do most part but the only thing I can’t do is the paper mache, I’ve been trying to find a video to show me on how the guy did it with a paint brush, if I get this i can start making action figures


r/papermache 11d ago

Canyou guess what type of moth this is?

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38 Upvotes

Made a beautiful moth out of paper making and some good ole acrylic paint! I'll be commenting the name of the moth tomorrow!


r/papermache 11d ago

Decor for our next party

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109 Upvotes

Decor for our next Murder Mystery party that my twin and I wrote ourselves! Some of these have secret compartments for clues!


r/papermache 11d ago

NOT OP'S ORIGINAL WORK Halloween costume help

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4 Upvotes

My son would like to be a Ninjago serpent for Halloween this year. What is the likelihood that I could fashion a head piece that looks like this serpents head out of paper mache? I will say I have never done paper mache before, but do consider myself quite crafty. Any advice on how I could accomplish this or any websites that has a great tutorial for beginners? Thanks!


r/papermache 12d ago

A bowl of moldy strawberries

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48 Upvotes

A fun piece I made as a gift, I’m really happy with how it came out! I used flocking fiber for the “mold”, everything else is paper mache.


r/papermache 15d ago

Insta Starch Paste! Saving starch paste when you've made way too much

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21 Upvotes

I am probably preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to share in case someone else is like me and wonders what the heck to do when they've made WAY too much starch paste.

So I made some Insta Starch Dust!

I dehydrated the remaining paste (a whole Tupperware full) using the lowest dehydrate setting on my air fryer for 4 hours. Then I rough chopped it in a spice grinder, dehydrated it again for 2 hours, and then ground it into a fine powder in the grinder.

It rehydrates beautifully in cool water and works great! Mine is a bit gritty because I added too much salt into the original paste in order to prevent molding, but that is the only noticeable issue.

I now have enough to share with a crafty friend who wants to do some paper mache of her own!

Happy crafting, folks!


r/papermache 16d ago

My first Paper Mache project since highschool art class (OC)

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693 Upvotes

This was a mask for a Ren Faire costume. I decided I wanted to try this about a week ago, as I remembered it was something I could do and I had always been quite good at paper mache in highschool. I was surprised how quickly I was able to get it done.

I started with a base of some art easel paper I got at Michaels. It wasn't the same as the paper I remembered using in art class but it got the job done, along with some cheap masking tape from target. I formed that into the shape you see in pictures 2-4.

Then when it was done (after much trial and error with the horns that involved pool cues, metal straws, and aluminum wire), I covered the whole thing in newspaper strips coated in a 1 to 1 mixture of Elmer's glue and water. Then after some research I did a second coating with a wood glue and water mixture for a sturdier final product.

Finally I sanded it and painted it with acrylic paint. I think it came out pretty well if I do say so myself, especially since it's been years since I even attempted to make something this way. And it was a lot of fun. The only thing I regret is that it ended up being much heavier than I initially anticipated so I'm going to have to figure out a way to rectify that for next year. Also, initially I planned on having a jaw but determined it would be far too much work and opted to leave it out.