Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Papier Mache

Papier Mache is an art of making beautiful and useful products from paper either by way of  making a pulp or paper strips glued together with adhesive.

I have always wanted to try this art form and got further inspired when Anuradha Kapoor show cased some of the products she had designed ,in a Facebook page that we are a member of.

About Anuradha, let me tell you she is a powerhouse of talent.Very sweetly she obliged to share with the readers of sajavat the basics behind Papier Mache.


Paper Mache Ganesha on canvas...



A closer look...


In her own words...

I have been an ardent advocate of recycling waste and turning it into something of beauty and utility . I firmly believe we have a responsibility towards the world we live in and as far as possible should recycle things and not turn this beautiful earth we call home into a dump yard . We should manage our waste smartly and let our earth breathe 
I have done a project called' Wonder Waste' in which I have used discarded bottles,cans, paper,plastic containers and turned them into lamps,vases,pen stands,masks, paper weights, flower pots etc.

Bottles and bowls...




Truly appreciate her thoughts on recycling waste and to turn it into an object of beauty.

So much colour...


She explains to us the procedure behind this wonderful art.

Papier mache is fairly simple but needs an adept hand as the dough dries quickly and you have to be fast to mould it to the required shape else it turns hard and you can't work with it . Sharing the procedure of making the pulp first.

1. Shred newspaper into small bits and soak it in water . Once you have done that ,boil it for about half an hour . Let it cool and stand for two days . Then grind it in a mixer ( the home mixi will do ) and keep adding water or the blades will get stuck , also be careful about the air bubbles which form while grinding , and stir it with a spoon. The pulp is ready . 

2. To make the dough you have to put a bit of pulp in a container , mix enough linseed oil ,glue and plaster of Paris to make a firm dough , like atta . 

3. Remember that you have to work quickly as the dough hardens fast , so it is advisable to make it in small portions and make a fresh batch when you have finished making whatever you are making.

4. If you have taken a bottle as a base you have to take the dough and firmly press it onto the bottle and wetting your hands a bit ( not too much) smoothen out the dough evenly on the bottle.You can give it any shape you want ,depending on the pattern you have chosen .



5. Once done keep it to dry in the sun for two days . You can paint on it with acrylic or oil paints once it is completely dry .

Doesn't that sound fun and creative? And what better than to use something as ordinary as paper and turn them into awesome decor accents.



Papier Mache masks

You can always visit Anuradha's Facebook page Anuraya for more such creative inspiration!

I am definitely going to try my hands soon on this wonderful art and of course will post it here.Till then take care folks. A very interesting post on  quick and easy makeover is up next! so stay tuned.

7 comments:

meg said...

That's a nice art... I have tried my hands with paper strips glued together similar to mod podge but these technique seems fascinating...
Loved the bottles and masks... exquisite work!

Disha Mishra Dubey said...

Wonderful!! Got to know more about this art. Very informative post Sangitha. Thank you Anuradha for sharing the complete procedure :)

Sangitha Aanand said...

Thanks Meghana...Also the fact that you are recycling and converting trash to treasure is such a unique and great feeling!

Sangitha Aanand said...

Thank you Disha... I know for sure that being a DIY expert you will surely try your hands on this art too!

Vasudha Somayaji said...

Thanks for sharing the process Anuradha and Sangeeta. I have done some but not like this one. Sure going to try it..

Sangitha Aanand said...

Do share your effort Vasudha. Glad you liked the post.

Unknown said...

Really interesting to know about it. I am going to do this work. Great effort from you. Thank you so much and must share further research also.
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