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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 2h00

3D Paper Mache Moon & Stars
This project is done within a time frame of your own accord. It will take longer than one day, but the actual project "Making" time could be as little as an hour, drying could take over night to a couple of days, and the painting and artistry is at your own pace.
The best thing about paper mache projects is that you can start one, and then another, and another while you are waiting for dry time.

What you use as your preferred choice of paper mache materials is found by experimenting and trying different glues, pastes, and what your objective is.

In this project I used liquid starch, which you can purchase at any grocery store in the laundry detergent area for less than $4. It comes in a large enough bottle so that you can use it for many more projects. The only other things you may not have readily on hand may be the modge podge or other sealant of choice and finishing spray . All in all, this project can be done for under $10, in california even.

Be prepared to get messy and be sure to have a nice warm drying place ready.

Posted by MissMeliss from Tracy, California, United States • Published 29th January 2008 • See MissMeliss's 16 projects »

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Step 1
First while your hands are dry, tear newspaper into long and short strips and pieces, set aside. Make some small crunched up newspaper balls as well, about fist sized.

Get your corrugated cardboard and draw stars and moon, or whatever shapes you choose. Cut them out.

take your masking tape and crunched up newspaper balls and start taping them them to one side of the cut-out shape. Make sure to get a proportional shape.

Take your bowl, I like to use disposable pie tins and pour undiluted liquid starch, just enough to soak the newspaper strips. take your newspaper strips and begin soaking them in the starch only a few single strips at a time, until saturated. Using your fingers, remove excess starch in a squeegee fashion, and begin to cover your pieces.

Be sure to cover the entire shape with as smoothly as possible by taking your finger and dipping in starch and smoothing any rough spots. When one shape is completely covered, no holes or spaces, move on to the next one after placing in a warm safe dry place.
Repeat at least one more layer of starched strips on each one after some drying has taken place, at least a half hour to an hour.

**You can use a hair dryer if you like to help more thouroghly dry the shapes for a faster second layering, but generally by the time you finish the third shape, you can move back to the first, depending on the temperature of the room. In the summer time I sit outside and do this, where I live, it is very warm, so the dry time is relatively fast.

**It is recommended that you leave project to dry over night before varnishing or sealing, the pieces should not be soft or damp when u seal or varnaish them.
Step 2
So now that you have at least two layers in tact, and your shapes are on there way to having a slightly hardened outer shell, then you are ready to seal them to protect them from water damage and to prep the surface to paint.

I find modge podge to be the fastest and most effective all purpose sealant that relatively inexpensive, but you can use any that will keep paper protected from moisture ect..

Use a paint brush to coat each shape and let dry, repeat a second coating of sealer and let set for minimum time.

**u may want to sand inbetween coats if necessary using a fine grade of sand paper, if you have a lot of bumps.
Step 3
Finally the moment has arrived where you get to paint and embelish your creations.

Yes! The fun part!
I used acrylic paints, gold leafing, glitter, embossing powders, sequins, permanent markers, and rhinestones.

When you finish with your artistry, be sure to spray with a finishing spray or an indoor/outdoor varnish
depending on what you choose to do with these.

Which brings us to the question of Why did I make these things?
Step 4
Well these dimensional art pieces can be used for making a mobile by inserting tiny hooks to each piece and some beads on some string or wire. Use your creativity and imagination.

Another great thing I have done is make my own wall art using super strength double sided velcro pieces. I adhered it to the back side of my individual shapes and created my own custom 3D handcrafted wall art.

While this project may take some patience, the end result is totally worth it. This is the kind of project that you can multi- task with, or take your time with, nothing has to be done on any other time frame other than your own, so its totally kick- back.