Papier-Mache Today - Softcover

McGraw, Sheila

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0920668852 ISBN 13: 9780920668856

Publisher: Firefly Books, 1990

Synopsis

"This attractive, copiously illustrated, and easy to use how-to-do-it book touches all the bases."
-- Kliatt

Out of print since 2007, Papier-Mâché Today is back in print for a new generation of crafters of all ages. Papier-mâché is an easy activity for children at home and a staple in school classrooms.

Papier-mâché is inexpensive, requires only household items as tools, and offers tremendous scope for creativity and personal expression. With its wide variety of sculptural techniques and finishing treatments, it satisfies the sculptor, the painter and the craftsperson.

This is a book of projects ranging from the simple to the ambitious. Clear instructions accompanied by color photos convey how to make animals, monsters and home décor items such as trays, bowls and paperweights -- 16 exciting kinds of projects in all. Beautifully photographed opening spreads introduce each creation.

A "Read This First" chapter gives the essentials on the papier-mâché craft, tools and materials (newspaper, cloth and wallpaper paste), techniques, painting, finishing and troubleshooting. Special techniques include graphics, antiquing, splatter, sponge painting and textures.

The 16 projects include home décor (such as bowls and napkin rings), animal characters (Meatloaf Cat, Alligator, Birdo, The Mutt, Mermaid), Monsters (Sea Serpent, Manhole Monster, Refrigerator Raider), and human figures.

The author explains all forms of papier-mâché construction and provides an extensive section on finishing techniques. Color photographs on each page reveal the beautiful results of this satisfying craft. Papier-mâché is an accessible and rewarding craft for people of all ages.

About this title

About the Author:

Sheila McGraw is the author of Painting and Decorating Furniture, Dolls Kids Can Make, Gifts Kids Can Make, Papier Mâché for Kids and Soft Toys to Sew. She is the illustrator of the best-selling children's books Love You Forever and Lightning Bug Thunder as well as the author/illustrator of Pussycats Everywhere.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Read This First

Papier-mâché is a medium that fulfills many of the criteria that people desire in a craft. With its wide variety of sculptural treatments and finishing techniques, it satisfies the sculptor, the painter and the craftsperson.

Compared to other art forms, papier-mâché most resembles working with clay, because it is used to build form. This characteristic enables you to add, subtract or alter your papier-mâché object at any stage, giving you the opportunity to make corrections, spontaneous improvements or inspired changes.

Working with papier-mâché allows you a great deal of flexibility. You don't need a huge studio, unless you start making life-sized cows. Nor will you require casting or welding equipment or ovens for firing. You can also work at your own pace. Unless you have a deadline, you can leave your creation for a week or more, and pick up where you left off when you're in the mood.

Papier-mâché is a universal craft, accessible to virtually everyone. Most households have a supply of the basic materials: newspapers, masking tape, flour and water for paste, and some paints.

Children can work in papier-mâché, too, if the project they choose is geared to the level of ability. A common misconception is that papier-mâché is the ideal craft for all children. This has probably been fostered by the fact that the components are inexpensive and, therefore, accessible to kids. In fact, children often find that the application of papier-mâché is tedious or beyond their dexterity, and waiting for objects to dry surpasses their attention span. When planning a project for a child, select something that is medium-sized, simple and relatively speedy. The first project in each of the following sections of this book will meet these criteria and yield impressive results. Remember that a child needs the support and help of an adult to reap the rewards of seeing a project through to completion

Papier-mâché offers a wide scope for creativity. Your finished object can be naive, sophisticated, humorous, realistic or fantastic. Often the final paint treatment will decide the mood of the finished piece. Obiects constructed from papier-mâché can be simple or complex, large or small, easy or ambitious. You can work on a project by yourself or as part of a group. Papier-mâché is incredibly versatile and the choice and ideas are almost limitless.

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0920668852
• ISBN 13: 9780920668856
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144