Cut Out + Keep

Easy Paper Mache Circus Animals

I have been working on a miniature circus, which you can see here.

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/easy-paper-mache-circus-animals • Posted by Corinne D.

I had it almost finished, but making the animals was holding me back. Finally, I came up with a simple form in a paper mache style that seemed to work pretty well.

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

1 h 00

Difficulty

Tricky
Medium 113246 2f2016 02 02 194511 cirus%2banimals%2b1 Medium 113246 2f2016 02 02 194608 cirus%2banimals%2b003 Medium 113246 2f2016 02 02 194630 cirus%2banimals%2b005 Medium 113246 2f2016 02 02 194643 cirus%2banimals%2b012

Description

I had it almost finished, but making the animals was holding me back. Finally, I came up with a simple form in a paper mache style that seemed to work pretty well.

Instructions

  1. Using a 20 g. wire, and pliers, I made an armature for each animal. Just sort of a line drawing in 3-D to hold the form. and a tiger, to jump through a flaming hoop!

  2. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195138 wire%2bgiraffe

    a giraffe,

  3. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195153 wire%2belephant

    We have our elephant here.

  4. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195203 taped%2bup%2b3

    Then, using tissue paper I had lying around, I stuffed it in and wrapped around the shapes until they looked right, and secured with masking tape where necessary. This sort of makes them look like poor little wounded animals in an animal hospital, so let's fix them up quickly!

  5. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195213 paper%2bmache%2b3

    I used just what I had at home already,an made a sort of quick paper mache. I tore strips of tissue paper ( used green b/c I was impatient, but white tissue paper would probably work best), and painted the surface under and over each layer with a watered down white glue mixture. This takes about 24 hours to fully dry. When they do dry they are lightweight but very sturdy, and ready to be painted. I did apply one coat of white primer to them first, before adding color.

  6. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195246 animals%2bcircus

    One dry, I painted them with a layer of white gesso. Then using acrylic paint, I started to paint each animal in it's own colors.

  7. Small 113246 2f2016 02 02 195308 cirus%2banimals%2b1

    They really came to life once I added the details: the spots, stripes and faces.