School Holiday Project 21 - Making Paper Mache Baskets

Paper Mache is such an old and trusted form of art and crafts that it hardly needs an introduction. Yet, every new generation needs a fresh introduction to it. Today's paper mache project is a pocket-friendly one where we use starch as an adhesive rather than glue.

Tear a double page of a newspaper into strips.

Rub a thick layer of Vaseline over the outside of a bowl the size and shape you want to use.

Scoop a couple of spoonfuls of cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add enough cold water to make a thick paste. Make sure there are no clumps.

Dip the newspaper strips in the flour paste.

Lay the dipped newspaper strips crisscross over the glass bowl.
Tip: Position your glass bowl over an object that is slightly smaller than the bowl so that the paper strips can hang down past the sides of the bowl. We will crop these to the desired length once the paper mache bowl is dry.

This is a rather messy craft, but cleaning up is real easy, so don't fret it too much. Leave the project to dry in direct sunlight for a day or more, until it is completely dry.

Once the project is completely dry, it will look something like this.

Carefully lift the bowl off its stand (the tin in my case).

Using a craft knife, or a pair of scissors, cut away the excess paper.

If the paper mache bowl does not release itself, you can warm the bowl with steam. This should melt the Vaseline layer and allow the bowl to loosen.

I used a thin palette knife to loosen any stubborn areas that insisted on clinging to the glass bowl. Once the glass bowl is out, let it soak in warm soapy water for a few minutes and the paste will wash right off.

I decided to trim my bowl down a little more as I did not want it quite so deep.

I then painted Gesso on both the inside and outside of the bowl and allowed it to dry. This will simply give me a nice stark white background to start my paint work on, rather than the ugly newsprint. It will also help to make the paint adhere to the inside of the bowl, where some Vaseline residue may be left over.

I used Dala Craft Paint to paint my bowl with. The inside of the bowl was painted a delicious-looking Custard.

I then used a pencil to draw some designs/patterns on the outside of the bowl.

How you paint your bowl is entirely up to yourself, but I'll share my color choices with you, if you are interested. Otherwise, simply skip down to the bottom of the blog for some ideas on sealing the bowl. I started here with Purple.

Back to Custard.

Some Burnt Orange curves.

A few Duck Egg dots.

Lovely Warm Red hearts.

Back to Custard again.

Warm Red flower petals.

This time I painted Purple curves.

White to set of my red hearts. (Note that I paint the already white Gesso a second coating of White as the Craft Paint has a crisper White than the Gesso).

Back to Burnt Orange.

And lastly back to Duck Egg.  Allow the paint to dry completely. Once dry, you can paint the bowl, inside and outside, with Dala Acrylic Gel Medium, or Modge Podge to seal it. I did not bother with mine, as it was meant to be a very temporary table decoration.

Finally, I can bring all my Easter elements together to warm some young, and not so young, hearts!

For more crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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Six Ideas for Making Tags

There are times when you need a tag, rather than a card. There is no need for those occasions to be littered with unsightly and boring tags. Tags can be made and decorated in a matter of minutes. As a matter of fact, making today's 6 widely different options took me only about half an hour for the lot. I use different mediums and techniques to make these tags, once again attempting to inspire you to explore your own creativity, rather than simply copying what I did.

There are a number of die-cut machines on the market with which to cut tags. You can also use a punch, as I do, or you can trace a tag from a template/stencil and cut it out. Or perhaps you opt for buying a set of plain tags and decorating them yourself. The options are certainly plentiful. I used my punch and some off-cut paper I had left over from cutting frames for a scrapbooking project.

I will be showing you six different ideas, rather than creating a set of six tags.

Tag 1
For this label I need an ink pad and a stencil. This is actually one from the kitchen, intended for making pretty pictures on the thick froth of a specialty coffee, but it works well in the craft room as well.

I turn the ink pad upside down and press it onto the stencil.

I then use an earbud, which I dab onto the ink pad, to get into the small nooks that I could not reach otherwise.

Carefully lift the stencil away and wipe with a damp towel to clean it.

I then use a fine-liner fiber tipped pen to draw a frame around the tag.

Tag 2
I use the ink pad again, but this time with some stamps, which is perhaps more traditional.

Normally I would mount the clear stamp on its base, but this time I refrain from doing so as I want you to be able to see more clearly what I did. Note how the strawberry on top of the cupcake rests on the red cushion, the icing on the pink and the wrapper on the orange. I positioned it this carefully on purpose.

When I now press the stamp down on the paper, it gives a much more appealing finish, because I was careful in selecting the colors.

I added a second stamp, using the same technique.

This time my 'frame' does not go all the way around the tag, but it rather accentuates it.

Tag 3
For the third tag, I draw a rather silly cock with a pencil.

I then use a Black Posca Marker with a brush tip to redraw the pencil lines.

Then I color the drawing very loosely with Derwent Inktense pencils.

Finally I paint the pencils to bring out their natural bright colors, using a Pentel Aquash Brush.

Sitting back I realize that the drawing seems to be floating. I add some corn on the ground with a Black Fine-Liner fibre tipped pen to anchor the drawing to the ground.

Tag 4
I use yet another stencil in this tag, but this time I fill it in with a thick layer of Dala Fabric Liner. Be very careful when lifting the stencil away, as the thick paint can easily smudge. Wipe the stencil clean with a damp cloth.

While the paint is still wet, I use the point of a palette knife to draw quick lines through it. This gives it a more edgy finish.

In my final step, I spray Dala Fabric Spray onto the tag and set it aside to dry.

Tag 5
This time I use three rolls of Washi Tape and stick this onto the tag.

I turn the tag over and use the guidelines at the back to crop the tape.

Done!

Tag 6
I use another one of those kitchen stencils on this tag.

This time I use my Sharpie markers to color the stencil. I carefully get my Brown in place.

This is followed by Pink. Pay attention to the directional coloring.

I then lift the stencil away and add a few more lines, completely changing the original design from a blotch to a ballerina!

This one is a great take on alternative art, don't you think?

And there you have it. Six widely different tags in the blink of an eye. I bet everyone has a favorite here. Which one is yours?

For more crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
You can subscribe to this blog and receive regular updates by email by simply registering your email address at the top of the current blog.