Project: Paper Bowls

Papier-mâché: the name makes me cringe. After years as a teacher, I can tell you that there is no substance I hate more (with the possible exception of finger paint). As a naturally messy person, I usually avoid projects that bring their own built-in mess to the experience. Perhaps my son is missing out by not having made a papier-mâché-covered balloon, but he gets plenty of mess in the mud, outside, and in the kitchen.


Still, the idea of making some sort of paper bowl has been in my mind for a while. We've been playing with modeling clay; we like to make up stories and make the creatures and scenery as we go, smashing one creature to make the next. None of this is permanent; it’s good for the fingers and creativity but never something tangible to keep and remember. That's the way it is with most of the projects we do. But as he gets older, I feel the need to hold on to some pieces of who he was, not just photos but actual objects.


A few months ago, we inherited a 25-pound bag of clay. It sits there in a cabinet waiting until ... well, waiting until we have the space for it and all the preparations it requires. I would love to have a table set aside just for clay, along with all the tools. A place for creating whatever we want when it comes to us. But I’m not ready to make a commitment to that sort of mess. When that space comes, it will come with responsibilities to keep it neat and everything in working order. (Like I said, as a messy person I like having what control I can over the mess.)


Then the other day, I was reading a blog and saw that they made some paper bowls without using papier-mâché, and I knew exactly what our next project would be.


Paper Bowls (adapted from Ordinary Life Magic)

What you’ll need:
Old newspaper
Bowls (some for making the bowls, some for soaking the paper)
Construction paper
Water colors or food coloring
1 cup of flour
Water
Colander


What to do:
1. Tear paper into small pieces.
2. Put paper in a bowl with hot water and coloring (water should cover all the paper).
3. Let it soak; three hours works (though we did it overnight).
4. Drain paper and tear it up smaller.
5. In a pot on the stove, mix flour with 1 cup of water until smooth.
6. Add 2 cups of water to mixture.
7. Turn stove to medium.
8. Mix constantly until it boils.
9. Remove from burner and let cool.
10. Mix paper and paste; you’ll know when it’s the right consistency.
11. Grease bowl with mineral oil or petroleum jelly (not cooking oil or the bowl will eventually go rancid).
12. Smush mixture into bowl, covering in an even layer.
13. Let dry (I can’t say for how long exactly, as we're on day 2 and they aren't completely dry yet).

Note:
When we soaked our paper, we separated it into a few bowls so we could have different colors in the bowls. Because we used newspaper, the colors were all slightly gray because of the ink. And yes, it is a little messy: the ink gets on your hands, but it washes off easily with soapy.