You can build muscle memory by repeating the same action over and over. Quilling the same shapes repeatedly is the only way to make pleasing objects.
You can create pleasing, symmetrical decorative elements like motifs for a bowl or box.
You can make a whole series of items by repeating and replicating, for example, if you want to make masks.
Repeating a task allows you to improve your speed. This is important if you plan to sell crafts.
You can make your DIY versions by replicating things that you love. You can create as many copies of a vase or bowl that you love as you like.
Making and using molds is a great way to get the most out of your products. You can find many tutorials on how to make molds using silicone or other materials. Or, you can use plaster or clay. You can use almost anything as a paper mache mold to replicate any object. Here’s how:
Some examples of molding from my craft projects. Excuse my messy desk.
How to turn anything into a mold for paper mache
Most paper mache adhesives will not stick to plastic, regardless of the glue or paste you use. This is a great advantage to use when replicating objects. The examples in this image:
Making a Styrofoam Skull: A few years back, I bought this styrofoam head for a couple of euros in a craft store. I decided to use it for a mold, so I covered it with clear tape. I made sure to adhere the video to all contours. It’s covered with tape now, so I can paper-mache it on top and then remove it.
Making a plastic bowl. These little plastic bowls that I bought at the supermarket are the perfect size and shape for trinkets, bowls, and potpourri. In the picture above, I’ve wrapped a bowl with tin and placed polymer clay on top, creating a 3-D profile I can bake. This is my first attempt at using polymer clay, and I’m getting the hang of it.
Making an acrylic sphere, I bought this large 2-part acrylic ball online and used it in many projects, including the paper-mache pufferfish shown here. In order to make most of my projects, I wrap the acrylic sphere tightly in clingfilm and then use tape to adhere it to the surface. You can see that I’ve also added tape lines to one half of the ball so I can use it as a layout line for mandala patterns.
You can use these strategies to duplicate an object by covering it in clear tape or wrapping it in tin or clingfilm, placing the thing inside a plastic bag, or inserting templates into plastic folders.
How to Replicate 3D Objects using Paper Mache
Use small pieces of paper to create fine details. For example, the teeth on the skull. You should use thin, small sheets and make sure to smooth them into the contours. You can capture fine details by working on small areas, using thin paper, and keeping everything smooth. The more layers and less precision you use, the more information you will lose.
Use the right paste. It is important to note that not all glues and pastes are the same. I use a method that turns my paper-mache layers gradually into decoupage. This is how I do it.
To make the innermost layer of the mold, I mix a paste with about 1/2 flour (I use patent flour in the Netherlands because all-purpose flour can be incredibly glutinous) and 1/2 cornstarch (because it dries out to a powder). Salt will keep the finished project drier and prevent mildew or mold. Add water and a large spoonful of the flour until you get the desired texture. The water allows the cornstarch and flour to penetrate your paper fibers so that they can take on a contoured shape when they dry. The flour and cornstarch do not stick to plastics after they are dried.
After the surface has been covered with paper mache, using this flour/cornstarch paste, I prepare another batch using the same recipe, but I add glue and water to thin the paste. The second layer will adhere to the first better, and the bond adds structural reinforcement when it dries. This paste is used for the second layer.
After that, for each successive layer, I use less flour and less corn starch until I’m just using watered-down glue. I am actually just decoupaging instead of paper-macheing.
The innermost layer of the object is always released cleanly
Prepare for the release. For spheres and bowls, the release is simple: after your paper mache has dried, pull on the edges of the film to release it from the shape underneath. The skull is a more complicated release because it has many contours. To replicate the head in its entirety, I used a craft blade to cut through the paper mache. I then divided it into three sections so I could remove the face by lifting the front part and the sides by pulling the sides to the side. After I’ve cut the paper mache into three pieces, I can paper mache it back together. You should also go over the cut seams of the styrofoam again and tape them so that future attempts to shape the shape won’t stick to those seams.
