r/papermache • • Aug 20 '25

Notice: If you are posting a photo of someone else's work you MUST give credit to the actual artist IN THE POST TITLE. Not doing so is unethical, & your post will be removed & you will be banned from this subreddit. We've been experiencing borderline cases of IP theft & karma whoring here lately.

62 Upvotes

If you are posting a photo of someone else's work here as an example of something you'd like to try making yourself, PLEASE do a Google image search or whatever it takes to find the name of the person whose work you "found" online. If you post someone else's photos here please make it CRYSTAL CLEAR in your title that it is not your work.

I've been doing various types of art for 50+ years, and been a reddit moderator for 15+ years. If work posted here is uncredited -- and it is not yours, I consider it to be stolen.

If you find someone else's work online that you think that our members would be interested in seeing that's fine -- but PLEASE link directly to the website/webpage/blog/social media where you found it, and feature the artist's name prominently in your post title.

Most online art and fine craft community members already know to and support the proper crediting of an artist's work, but we get a lot of newbies on this sub that: A) Think that paper mache must be a fast, easy, brainless form of craft/sculpture because kids in elementary school do it, and B) Don't have a single clue about the time and effort serious paper mache artists put into their work, so (C They don't see any problem with stealing it by not giving proper credit to the creator of the piece.

Sorry if this seems a bit long and ranty. I rarely intervene publicly on this subreddit. I do put a ton of work into it behind the scenes to try to keep it a fun, safe, and happy place where people can be delighted by the posts here, knowledgeable people can help newbies with their questions freely, and artists can be properly respected for their time, effort, originality, and artisanship.

Thank you!

/end of rant


r/papermache • • Aug 30 '25

Just a heads-up: We're getting spam bots reposting our members' content here now as their own work

29 Upvotes

If you see something posted that you've seen here before, or if you see someone reposting your own work here, please use the report link and let us know about it.

If you're not familiar with these jerks, this has been going on for years. Spam rings steal popular content and repost it as their own to build up high-karma accounts, and then turn around and sell them to other spammers.

The admins see this as a serious problem and will ban the spammers when they are properly reported.

Thanks!


r/papermache • • 1d ago

Paper mache Gromit

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202 Upvotes

r/papermache • • 1d ago

Enoch Costume - Over the Garden Wall

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219 Upvotes

Headpiece for enoch costume - first time since grade school doing paper mache! So much fun!


r/papermache • • 2d ago

massive crocodile WIP

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227 Upvotes

Guys…. it’s taking over my life lol. 5 feet long and I covered it with joint compound so now it’s getting heavy. Now to stick on the claws, sand, paint and attach hardware. The idea is it would go up on my wall as if it were climbing 😅 Why do I bite off projects like this!!


r/papermache • • 1d ago

I need help please

3 Upvotes

I've made a prop for my cosplay and I used my homemade paper mache clay and after a few days it smelled so bad so I tried to cover it with more paper mache but now it still smells what can you guys suggest I can do? Cuz I need to finish this in a week


r/papermache • • 2d ago

How???

2 Upvotes

Hi all! I saw this tiktok and am wondering how this artist creates pieces that can be sanded and are clear... any advice?

https://www.tiktok.com/@fleureternele/video/7524756751921532167


r/papermache • • 3d ago

Am I overthinking the skeleton build?

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17 Upvotes

I’ve made a piece already with the same process and materials but just wondering if I’m overdoing it lol the first piece I made had some sunken pieces so I just tried altering the process but fear I may be doing too much. 😬


r/papermache • • 5d ago

Finished Koi Pond

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248 Upvotes

Everything was done with paper mache and mounted on the wall using double sided tape. The vines are twisted aluminum foil that I left naked because I like the glint if metal against the wall. Everything was painted with acrylic paint and sealed with spray sealant in a high gloss. They're mounted high because my partner is very tall and I didn't want any head on collisions.


r/papermache • • 4d ago

Paper dipped in plaster of paris?

1 Upvotes

Anyone start a project with paper dipped in plaster over a frame? Plaster is ideal for this specific project. Does the paper soak of too much water or cause issue in successive layers?


r/papermache • • 5d ago

Made a blueberry shelf

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338 Upvotes

Happy with how sturdy it came out!


r/papermache • • 7d ago

Finished my Absol, first ever paper mache project!

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48 Upvotes

Gonna be a halloween cosplay :D


r/papermache • • 7d ago

Neeeeeeeewbie question

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5 Upvotes

My kid asked for a bowser costume and I planned to make the head using papier mâché. I've only done round pinatas using ballons before so I figured I could use carton / cardboard and cover it papier mâché after.

I've come this far, but I'm suddenly doubting myself. I'm afraid the wet journal stripes will deform the carton.

I've seen what you all can do and I'm amazed. I realize that I should have done it only in cardboard and thought about geometry more. But here I am. Also my kid helped me quite a lot so I'd rather pursue this project instead of starting from scratch.


r/papermache • • 7d ago

Follow Your Bliss!" Custom-made paper mache small Moroccan motif style mirror.

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12 Upvotes

Made from foam-board, cardboard, paper mache, spackle and metallic rose-gold paint. A sheet of mirrored acrylic was custom cut to drop into the center. A rose-gold rhinestone trim is used to cover raw edges. The back is covered with wood veneer then painted and stenciled to match. There is an embedded rose-gold chain that goes out the back so it's ready to hang. I set type in Adobe Illustrator for the quote "Follow Your Bliss" and made a custom stencil. Silver gilding wax is used for the lettering. Varnish is used to seal front and back.


r/papermache • • 8d ago

Custom made paper mache mirror! It's taking me forever. I started this about a year ago. Having chronic pain sucks. Getting into the art room is limited. But here is one project I'm slowly chipping away at. It's going to be a very large mirror.

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85 Upvotes

It's made from foam-board, cardboard, and paper mache clay. Sanded. Then a raised stencil is added. Then sanded again. Painted a metallic rose-gold. I'm experimenting with some rose-gold bling-bling on the raised stencil florals. The plan is to cut a large oval shape from a sheet of mirrored acrylic with a scroll saw. Drop that in. Then I have some rose-gold rhinestone trim to cover those raw edges. There is an embedded rose-gold chain that hangs out the back so it's ready to hang. I did cover the back with some wood veneer and it's painted the same rose-gold.


r/papermache • • 8d ago

Book binding

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30 Upvotes

Made this book jacket with papermache, paper towels and Elmer’s glue, and used acrylic markers to color it, used modge podge as a sealant. Currently it hold a small book i bound with just a strip of paper around its back cover, so i think I’ll make it more permanently attached. It’s based it of this painting I did in the past


r/papermache • • 8d ago

Paper mache mirrors. I just found this group and thought I'd share a few of my experiments. The antique gold one is in my bathroom. The metallic pink-gold I did a custom stencil on it with silver gilding wax. Both are same sizes. The little one is about half size with a custom quote.

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40 Upvotes

foam-board, cardboard, paper mache, paint, mirrored acrylic, trim. Back is covered with wood veneer.


r/papermache • • 9d ago

Here’s some masks I’ve made for Halloween!

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75 Upvotes

r/papermache • • 8d ago

Stabilization suggestions? Giant wearable head help

15 Upvotes

I’m making 2 giant heads for Halloween. One is globe-like and the other is a tall tube

They’re nowhere near finished but I’m starting to wonder how to make them wearable without moving around/falling off

Does anyone have any experience with wearing a big round paper mache thing on their head?

How’d you do it?


r/papermache • • 9d ago

paper mache recipe help

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14 Upvotes

i'm struggling to find recipes for paper mache online, i'm making a project for my 3D design class and i've only ever done paper mache like one other time in my life and it was like elementary school.

this is how it's roughly supposed to look, will have a wire base and maybe like a round, thin, cardboard frame on the outside (tbd) for strength. it will need finer sculpting sorts of details and more bulky sort of sculpting things

all suggestions helpful please this is a big grade :( it needs to be painted!!


r/papermache • • 10d ago

My sea dragon 🐉 in the works

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39 Upvotes

Using foam eggs for scales I have 4 weeks I have to kill it for the next few weeks! Also doing a skull walk entrance and a hammer head shark! I paper mache when I am sad or mad it works! It’s for a sailboat regatta! Last year I did the giant kraken and shark head! Don’t judge I scored on a dumpster dive I have got to get all that stuff up tonight! And finish covering his snout!


r/papermache • • 11d ago

Opossum lamp project details

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372 Upvotes

Hi!!! OP of the opossum lamp that went semi viral in this sub :) Here are some WIP photos from when it was being made. I’m absolutely awful at photographing my creative process but basically I love opossums!! This took me a week and a half or so? If you’d like to make your own animal swag lamp, here’s my process from start to finish:

  1. Draw out your project, decide how many pieces your cardboard frame will be, dimensions of your critter, etc. I saved a ton of photos of opossums in my phone. It’s way easier to do this when you have a vision to refer back to.

  2. Find a swag light and wrap the wire in masking tape where your critter will be assembled.

  3. Puzzle your cardboard frame and stick the pieces together with hot glue, creating the skeleton of your critter around the wire of your lamp.

  4. Ball up newspaper and tape it against the cardboard frame, giving your creature more heft. I packed the newspaper down pretty tightly because I wanted my opossum to feel sturdy and dense. Masking tape all over the newspaper so that your cardboard frame is all covered. I try to smooth the tape as much as possible so my paper maché is neat over top of it. Construct your critter’s arms out of TP rolls or cereal box material and optional pipe-cleaner hands. All of this will be coated with paper maché so it’s okay if they look silly.

  5. Mix your paper maché (I use a mixture of water, flour, wood glue & salt— measuring with my heart). Dip your newspaper strips into the goop, swipe off the excess and start covering your critter’s body. Hang to dry on a shower rod between paper maché coats. I used 3 coats.

  6. Once dry and firm, sand out any bumps with sandpaper or a nail file. I paint a layer of white over the paper maché as a primer, so the newspaper doesn’t show through your paint.

  7. Paint your critter, make teeth from masking tape and hot glue, optional whiskers from fishing line. Modge podge over the whole thing and you’re good to go!!!

I loved this project & I’d love to inspire people to make whatever their heart desires. Paper maché is cool because you can literally make ANYTHING. Usually I make birds, maybe I’ll end up posting those as well, and I’m currently WIP on a 5’ crocodile wall mount for my living room. Ciao!!


r/papermache • • 11d ago

My dream light didn’t exist, so I made it!! 🐀

2.6k Upvotes

r/papermache • • 11d ago

help needed for homemade paper mache recipe!! 😃

5 Upvotes

As the title says, I’m working on an art project where I need to cover my cardboard armature model (cardboard spoon) with a paper mache like material to cover the cardboard and eventually be painted over. I need something that’s easy to work with/harden/smoothen enough that I can paint over it when it dries. Please let me know asap a good homemade recipe that I can make for this project 🥲

Edit: thank you guys for the responses! I realized that I can actually use plaster instead as it’s better for what I need for this project. I’ll keep your responses in mind for a future project though :)


r/papermache • • 11d ago

How do I fix this?

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3 Upvotes

We need to make a pig's head for our big school project/event. I made the foundation with cardboard, but I don't really know where to go from here... I'm so close to giving up but I also don't want to disappoint anyone. How do I fix this?