This was my first time trying to photograph the whole process; usually I only photograph the final result. Also, this is my first attempt to post anything in this community. So please don't judge too harshly.
Several events gradually led me to this project. First, I saw papier-mâché animal heads in several boutiques in Boulder. I liked it, but paying $80 for old newspapers? Then I found on the Internet a guide to creating such a head with a frame made of garden mesh. Here it is! I thought. And she went for the net. And then there was an ambush: a huge roll of it cost $25, of which I needed $1, and the rest promised to gather dust in the garage. Rejected. And that’s when it struck a chord with me: can’t I really make this poor head for a pittance? I did, cost calculations are at the end of the post.
First, we will need plastic grocery bags, 10 pieces will be enough to spare. From them we roll up something approximately in shape close to the head of the intended animal. You don’t have to try too hard (we’ll adjust it later), just at the level - narrower/wider.
The next layer is foil. Firstly, the foil needs to be thick so that it holds its shape. Secondly, here we need to get closer to the final form.
We make ears (or a trunk, or horns) from two bags and foil and attach them to the head with the same foil.
I first attached the mane, and after I took the photo, I found a better way. He is below. 
The next stage is to carefully wrap the entire structure with adhesive paper tape, adjusting the shape, and at the same time attach the ears more firmly. We roll up the mane from a piece of foil and attach it with the same tape.
NOW we create the neck from the same bags, foil and tape, and the wrong side from a piece of cardboard. 
And finally, the papier-mâché process itself. I made the paste from two cups of flour and one water, for some reason it was indicated to add 1 tbsp of salt. Added. Used free newspapers. To ensure that the papier-mâché layer was the same everywhere, I took only colored pieces for one layer, and only black and white ones for the other.
Now, while our entire structure is still wet, we can add the final details: eye sockets, nostrils, protruding jaws. And leave it to dry. It took me 1 day on the balcony. 
But now, at your request, if you are going to paint it completely, then this can be done as soon as the head is dry. I want the newspapers to be visible on 1/2 of my zebra. Therefore, I paste over the entire structure with another layer, paying more attention to how the pieces lay down. And again - until completely dry.
Well, the last point is black acrylic.
Well, the damage calculation:
Foil - $1
Ribbon - $1.5
Glue (the last layer of newspapers was glued with a solution of 50/50 glue and water) - $1
Acrylic cost 20 cents.
And on the eve of the New Year holidays, we can make the head of Santa Claus's deer or, since the year of the horse is approaching, we can make a model of the horse accordingly :) But it is quite possible to use this technique for other ideas :) 
Let's study a master class from craftswoman Ashley:
For this project there is not much that you will need :) And that's great, isn't it? :)
Stock up on newspapers, paper tape, flour, water and paper towels :) That's all :) 
To create a horse's head, we crumple newspaper into large balls and secure it with paper tape.
You will need 3 such lumps just for the head, and the smallest lump should be placed in the middle. 
We fasten these three lumps together with masking paper tape. 
We extend the extensions to the head and neck in the same way, not forgetting to fasten everything with tape. 
For stability, we attach cardboard to the cut of the neck, which is also secured with tape.
9.
Well, then all the work is done as with ordinary papier-mâché. Cook the paste from water and flour in a ratio of 4:1. 
Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring it all the time 
The paste is ready! And after a couple of minutes, when it has cooled down a little, you can start gluing pieces of paper towels soaked in this solution. 
In this way we cover the entire head, while forming smooth lines and transitions.
14.
It's already starting to look like a horse's head :) 
What's a horse's head without ears? :) We make them from cardboard paper.
We also attach it to the head with tape. Since the idea of the craftswoman Ashley Hackshawli, based on the material from the site lblueboo/com, was a unicorn, then accordingly she attached a horn to it, but we don’t have to do this. 
Cover the ears with varnish and paper towels. 
From a twisted strand of paper towel soaked in a solution, we form the horse’s nostrils.
Additionally, we glue the paper layers in the right places. 
Ashley used magazine pages to decoupage the surface of the horse's head using the decoupage glue you see now on the screen. Printed pages can be replaced with colored magazine pages, fragments of napkins, simply painted with acrylic paints, or the head can be given an imitation of metal using metallic paints and then patinated. Or you can cover the entire layout with a layer of putty, then you can skip the step of using the paste. You can even then apply a mosaic of many materials to this layout.
23.
24.
In order for this model to hold firmly, we attach it to a solid base!
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Go ahead, take this project as a basis and develop it at your own discretion :) Moreover, this springboard for creativity is very economical :))
Look at the layouts made by the masters! 
2.
4.
Some of them did everything according to all the rules, first constructing a wire frame, then stretching a mesh over it, and only after that they used papier-mâché. 
6.
By the way, you will still have time to create New Year's balls this way :)) Look how original it turned out :)
Before you start making the figurine, you need to draw sketches,
This is especially useful when there is still no clear idea of
future character.
Having decided (at least roughly) what the figure will be like, you can begin making the frame.
The frame will go inside the head, body and legs. Tail and
the mane will be added separately and will be discussed separately.
I have copper wire, two-core - it is strong enough, so I take it in one layer.
I fasten the pieces together with thin wire.
If you want the figure to have all four legs separately,
Then in the leg area the braid needs to be cut and removed.
But since we do not set ourselves the task of making an exact copy of the horse,
you can make a stylized figurine, where the front and back legs can
be together and then there is no need to cut the braid, leave it as it is.
This option is suitable for those who are not yet very confident in their abilities.
I chose a more difficult task for myself and therefore on my frame there are four
wires for the legs and, as you can see, they follow the lines quite accurately
legs in the sketch.
If you set yourself the goal of following your sketch exactly, then the frame needs to be worked out especially carefully.
Part 2 - creating a figurine.
To work at this stage we will need sheets of paper - kraft and newspaper.
From kraft paper we will prepare in advance strips 1.5-2 cm wide and 10-15 cm long.
You will also need palm-sized pieces of craft paper.
The newspaper must be torn into pieces the size of a writing sheet.
I would like to remind you that papier-mâché paper is never cut with scissors, it is only torn.
And one more thing - paper fibers have a certain direction, which is why in
On one side, along the fibers, the sheet tears well, but across it - not. You
you'll feel it if you haven't already noticed it when you try it
tear a sheet of paper lengthwise and crosswise. Choose the right direction
especially important when making narrow strips.
And about applying glue to paper - a brush is not useful. Wet it
glue our fingers, rub the paper, knead it, feel how it
it becomes soft and pliable - that’s it, you can work.
We begin to wrap the wire. First we wrap the end of the wire,
so that it is not visible, then we go along the entire length of the future leg.
We wrap the tape evenly, tightly enough, smooth the surface,
so that there are no irregularities and corners.
The flagella are also already smeared with glue and mashed, applied, kneaded on all sides, shaped and again wrapped with ribbons.
Advice: prepare the flagella in pairs at once - identical for the left and right legs - otherwise you may miss the thickness
The lower part of the legs is ready - let's go higher.
We continue to build up the shape - adding wet lumps of newspaper.
We knead everything thoroughly and look for the shape. Caught - fix it, tape it up
small pieces of paper. We make sure that everything is well glued and the paper
lay down without folds, repeating the shape well.
The back half of the figure is done, we add volume in the chest area.
While the paper is wet, you can almost “sculpt” with it - make indentations,
build up, adding lumps and pasting over. Look for the form, it's interesting!
The body is ready, we make the neck and head - we wrap the frame with newspaper bundles and so on
We cover it with craft paper. Using newspaper lumps we add volume where it is
necessary by design.
In the end, this is what happened.
The figurine is ready - dry it.
Here the figure has already dried well, we look at the sketch - where we got it, where
missed the mark. I deliberately made it thinner in the neck area and
head, so that you can then sculpt the muzzle and apply more
one layer.
The photo shows that after drying, unevenness appeared; the relief layer will help us hide them. In complex work, grinding is usually used to achieve a smooth, ideal surface. We will make everything much simpler.
When working at this stage, you need to remember that in the end the thickness of the figure is
the area of the torso, neck and head should be slightly smaller
planned, so that later it would be possible to apply a relief layer.
will hide flaws and make the surface more attractive.
Part 3 - textured layer and stand.
When the figure has dried, add a textured layer.
When working with it, you need to remember that the surface before applying the layer
need to be coated with glue. You need a little glue, you need to rub it in well.
When applying a layer, you should try to make it the same thickness so as not to
distort the shape, although if necessary, where it is needed it can be
stick on more to give the figure more expressiveness.
I did not cover the face, legs and belly with a layer. Where the layer ended,
I tried to reduce it to nothing so that there were no rough boundaries. And the layer itself
smoothed it out as much as possible - after all, the horse’s body is smooth. But do without
We won’t be able to achieve this layer, otherwise we’ll have to sand all the unevenness, and
I wouldn't want that.
The maximum layer thickness on such figures can be no more than 1 cm
(thicker - it often falls off) It needs to be applied gradually over the entire
surface, lightly knead with fingers, or with a dry bristle brush - brush
enhances relief.
It must be remembered that the purpose of the layer is to give the product greater
decorative, which means it must be applied carefully and evenly.
Make sure there are no gaps or rough bulges.
The layer dries for a day.
When it dries, you can sculpt the muzzle and hooves, but more on that a little later.
In the meantime, let's make the figure more stable.
The photo shows how I did it:
The figurine now stands on its own.
Part 4 - tail and mane.
We cut out two pieces for the tail and mane from cardboard.
The details are flat, we make them more voluminous.
Glue the wire to the tail part
We put newspaper strips on both sides of the parts.
We cover the finished parts with one layer of paper.
Let's try it on and see if everything fits.
If you are satisfied with the result, we dry it.
Later, to give them greater expressiveness, the tail and mane will need to be decorated, but it is better to do this when it is dry.
For this we need paper handkerchiefs.
With their help, we will make the tail and mane more expressive.
To do this, we prepare narrow long strips of 1.5-2 cm wide from handkerchiefs.
Apply a little glue to the strip
Then, we twist the flagella with a movement similar to how coquettes wrap a curl around their finger... :)))
Decorate the mane and tail with wet flagella.
Apply
them onto a surface lightly moistened with glue, gently press them
flattening. When they dry and become harder, the entire part can be coated
a thin layer of glue - for strength. It is important not to overdo it with glue so that
the surface remained quite textured.
Nowadays there are many relief materials for decoration on sale. Who wants
speed up the work, can use them too. I remain faithful to her
Majesty Paper.
Part 5. Small parts and assembly.
Ears
Making a pattern for the ears
For the ears we will need craft paper.
Glue the sheet together so that there are four layers and there is a fold on one side. This is where the inside of the ears will go.
We don’t let the paper dry and quickly cut out two pieces and give them the desired shape:
When we have caught the shape, we secure the ends with thread so that the folds do not open when the paper dries.
After this, you need to check whether the layers of paper have separated and cover the ears with a layer of glue.
The ears dry on the battery for about two hours.
Muzzle
We sculpt the face. I made this from Paper Glue.
Before starting, the surface of the papier-mâché needs to be slightly moistened by rubbing in water.
You need to try to sculpt quickly, because... The mass dries quickly from the warmth of your hands.
Use water to wet the surface and when smoothing.
In my work I used stacks.
Stand
The end part needs to be covered with something nice.
I used braid.
We completely moisten the braid with glue and secure it with pins.
The end of the stand was also smeared with PVA glue.
Assembly
We make two holes in the head with an awl, drip glue there and insert the ears.
Carefully fill the gaps with papier-mâché mixture.
Glue the tail and mane, fix the horse on the stand.
This time I used a heat gun, but in general, paper pulp No. 1 made from toilet paper and PVA works well here.
With its help, we fill all unnecessary cracks, depressions in places
connection of parts. The mass is quite plastic and molds well.
I used it to make hooves after the horse was firmly on the stand.
All is ready!
All that's left to do is color it.
Part 6 - painting the figure.
First layer - primer.
This layer will be dark, much darker than the intended color of the finished product.
The paint of the first layer should not be thick, you need to add a little
water so that it paints all the recesses well, but not
covered them up.
Apply a layer with a bristle brush, carefully rubbing the paint into the surface.
Cover the figurine completely and dry it. All layers are applied only to a dry surface.
After drying, check whether all the recesses are well painted. Often you have to apply the primer layer twice.
Second and all subsequent layers
For the second and all subsequent layers, the paint should be thick. Liquid
the paint will flow into the recesses and cover the bottom layer completely, and
we don't need this.
The paint tone is lighter than the previous one, but not yet as light as the finished product will be.
Apply the paint carefully with a bristle brush “on dry”. It means that
There should not be a lot of paint on the brush and you should try to apply it
not in a continuous layer, but only along the convexities of our relief surface,
so that the bottom layer is visible in the recesses.
We went over the entire figure and dried it.
There may be several such layers, and each of the subsequent layers will be lighter and should not completely overlap the previous layer - this is important !
Last layer
The last paint layer will be the lightest. It is not advisable for this to happen
there was pure white paint, even if according to the plan you would like to do
a white figurine, let it be the color of baked milk, or something
similar. This will give the product warmth and attractiveness.
And I also want to add that last layers
are easy to apply, the brush hardly touches the surface. Paints on a brush
there should be very little, before applying it, it needs to be well
rub on the palette with another brush, and pick up a little at a time
working brush - dry and clean
. And very important: paint
should be thick - the liquid will flow into the recesses and block the previous ones
layers and our efforts will be in vain.
The main thing to strive for, in my opinion, is that
the paint was not flashy - too black. It's good if it happens
gray-black tone. It must be applied with a thin brush. And in order to
eyes looked, we put a highlight with a white dot.
Well, all that remains is to apply a protective wax layer to the figurine and you’re done.
Protective layer.
In order to protect the papier-mâché from moisture, we cover the figure with a protective layer.
To do this we use varnish or wax. I like wax more - it doesn't
shines, the figurine, covered with wax, is very pleasant to the touch - warm and
silky. The varnish gives the product excessive gloss, which makes it easier
cheapens the work. If strong protection against moisture is needed, such as for
garden figurines, then you can’t do without varnish, but it’s better if it’s
matte.
So, how is the protective layer applied?
Varnish layer Apply with a brush - rub in a little, trying not to let the relief float.
Wax layer- colorless rubbing mastic is suitable for this
floors It is thick, it is better to apply it with a piece of foam rubber or soft
cloth. When the layer is dry, rub it with a clean cloth and admire
how the layer of paint underneath will sparkle. :)
Think about whether you might want to decorate the stand. In addition to the braid
at the end there can be all sorts of “goodies” - beads, seed beads, drapery from
kraft paper. It all depends on your desire and taste. Main
Don’t overdo it here - the stand shouldn’t attract too much attention,
after all, she is just an addition.
And the figurine itself can be decorated with decoupage - this also complements well.
In general, use your imagination!
Good luck and joy of creativity!
She took part in this project with me Verba
We made horses at the same time.
Look what a wonderful horse she turned out to be
Can
. Olga Moiseikina I made a lovely old-style horse toy as a gift for my son. To create the craft, the papier-mâché technique was used, and the horse was decorated using the decoupage technique with Gzhel painting.
A papier-mâché horse as a gift for my son
Greetings to all visitors to the Kartonkino website! My name is Moiseikina Olga. Once upon a time, several years ago, I worked with children in a circle. 3 years of my life were devoted to this work. I made crafts from paper and cardboard with my junior high school students. And today I am raising my little son, he will turn 4 years old in the spring.
When I thought that the New Year was coming, the first question that came to my mind was: “What animal will be the patron saint of the coming year according to the eastern calendar?” And when I found out that it would be a horse, I immediately wanted to give my son a horse.
Honestly, when I look at old vintage postcards, photographs of old toys, sometimes there are horses on wheels. Today, many modern rocking horses are sold in stores and there are even some on wheels, but they are all big, and there are no small horses that you can ride in your hands.
I really wanted to give my son a piece of antiquity. The first idea was to make a horse in a vintage or shabby style. And these styles imply pink and beige colors, but I still have a son, not a daughter.
Therefore, when I went to a store that sold decoupage napkins, I chose a napkin with motifs in the Gzhel style. This is where the brief background ends and the job description begins.
To make the horse I needed:
— paper for covering windows, toilet paper;
— foam plastic sheets 5 cm thick;
- PVA glue;
- putty;
- wire (1 mm);
- a paper knife (I used it to cut foam plastic);
- 2 unnecessary plastic felt-tip pens (and a device for cutting them - I use a heated kitchen knife);
- acrylic paints;
- napkins for decoupage;
— cardboard (0.5 mm);
- varnish for decoupage;
- sandpaper.
I wanted to make a horse out of wood, but we don’t sell ready-made bases in our store, and we don’t have much else in our small town either. So I decided to replace the wood with foam.
I needed sheets of polystyrene foam 5 cm thick. From a sheet of polystyrene foam, using a paper knife, I cut out the torso - 1 piece, the front legs - 1 piece and the hind legs - 1 piece according to templates.
Templates for the horse can be downloaded here:
I then cut each 5cm thick leg in half, resulting in two front legs that were 2.5cm thick and two back legs that were 2.5cm thick.
I rounded the edges of all the parts. The body was cut off on both sides, the legs at the bottom were also cut off on both sides, and at the top - only on one side, since they are attached to the body with the other side.
Then I attached the hind legs to the body with thick wire, piercing the workpiece right through: leg - body - leg. The protruding ends of the wire were bent to secure the structure.
I did the same with the front legs.
Since it was planned to make a horse on wheels, I needed to insert something cylindrical into the legs that would hold the wheel axle. A felt-tip pen was perfect for this.
Using wire heated on a gas burner (which I held in pliers with plastic handles!) I melted holes in the foam legs into which I inserted the body of the felt-tip pen. The felt-tip pen can also be easily cut with a kitchen knife heated on a gas burner.
Now you can start pasting with paper. However, regular paper is not that easy to stick to the foam, so I used toilet paper for the first two layers. I lubricate it with PVA glue and lean it against the foam - it adheres to it very easily. After each layer, the workpiece must be thoroughly dried. We also cover the tubes of felt-tip pens with paper.
After the first two layers of toilet paper, I added four more layers of window paper. After the last layer dried, a very durable structure was obtained.
The horse itself was puttied and, after drying, treated with sandpaper.
Now you can take on wheels.
To make the axle of each wheel, I took three pieces of wire. First, I wrapped them in paper coated with PVA glue, and after drying, covered them with tape. The length of the section wrapped with tape should be “from wheel to wheel.” And you don’t need to cover everything with tape, but leave small areas of paper around the edges in order to then glue the cardboard wheel rims to them.
Let's start attaching the disks. I cut out 24 disks from 0.5 mm thick cardboard - 6 disks for each wheel. Having punctured small holes in the center in advance, I put 3 cardboard circles on the axle in the place where the area covered with paper remained, and glued them together, not forgetting to glue the wheels to the paper winding of the axle.
After drying, I bent the protruding pieces of wire.
Now you need to tightly fill the space between the ends of the wire with toilet paper soaked in PVA glue and wait until it dries.
After that, I glued the remaining three cardboard disks. I did the same operation with the other axis.
The edges of the wheels also need to be puttied.
Now about toy decor.
I painted the horse with white acrylic paint in two layers. After the paint had dried, I pasted motifs cut from a decoupage napkin onto the horse’s body. Once the PVA glue had dried, I coated the horse with two coats of glossy varnish.
The horse itself is already ready.
After drying, insert the axes into the felt-tip pen tubes.
We make wheels in the same way on the other side. We putty, clean and paint them.
After the wheels have dried, we decoupage them.
Now all that remains is to coat them with varnish and wait for them to dry. And the gift for my son is ready.
* * *
A wonderful and touching gift! I am sure that this horse, made with such love by the hands of the mother, will take its place among the baby’s most favorite toys for a long time, and will subsequently remain one of the bright memories of childhood.
Olga’s next work is also made using the papier-mâché technique, and it opens our third competition category “