In my kindergarten class, I teach and prepare a lot of art activities. I feel that children learn a lot from special art projects and even simple crafts. I also love these activities because they are always well received and my students look forward to them. One project that I have been doing throughout the year are paper mache activities. If you are looking for a tried and true way on how to make paper mache, you’ll love these step by step instructions and free recipe.

Paper mache is inexpensive, easy and creates a beautiful end result. It’s also a great sensory experience especially if you have the opportunity to let children be part of making the paper mache mixture.

There are several ways to make paper mache. Some recipes included using flour and water, which I personally love for pinatas and similar projects, but I recently have been using a glue and water recipe for art projects. This recipe is very easy and uses materials that you likely already have on hand.

So, if you’re looking for the best paper mache for kids recipe, you’re in the right place!

For more paper mache ideas and projects make sure to check out other ideas from Play Learn Inspire, including the Best Recycled Paper Art for Kids, and Hands-On Teaching Ideas Top Paper Mache Projects. Use the recipe listed below or try with flour and water: Simple Paper Mache Ideas for Kids.

How to Make Paper Mache + Free Recipe

Materials

All you need to make this super simple paper mache is paper, water, glue, a blender and paint. I like to use paper that is otherwise headed to the garbage, but you can use any paper you have available. Toilet paper, paper towel and even printer paper will work. White paper works best.

Once you have all of your materials, you’re ready to start creating. Make sure to also grab a copy of the free recipe instructions. You are welcome to print and share a copy with others hoping to make paper mache!

Step by Step Instructions

Start by tearing your paper into small pieces and soaking it in water. To make one cup of paper mache, you will need roughly five sheets of paper. Warm water works best to soak the paper in. The longer you can soak the paper the better, but if you’re short on time, a few minutes will also work.

Once the paper is wet, use a hand mixer to break down the paper into paper pulp. You want an oatmeal like consistency with no chunks of paper.

Use a strainer or your hands to squeeze some of the water out of the paper. Do not drain all of the water. You want your pulp to be wet enough that you can easily mix in the glue, but not so wet that it is still dripping.

If you have time to let kids get their hands on the paper pulp, it is a great sensory activity. It is also an opportunity to talk a little bit about how paper is made.

Next, add roughly 1/4 cup of white glue and mix thoroughly.

Next, separate your paper pulp into piles. One pile for each color you intend to make. Add paint and mix through the paper + glue mixture. The more paint you add the more vibrant the colors you will get. Create as many colors as you want.

Art Projects for Kids

If you don’t want to add paint to your paper mache pulp, you can also choose to create your project with plain white paper mache and add details and color with a paint brush after your project is dry.

Once you have all of your paper pulp colors, you can start your project. You can create almost anything you want with this mixture. I love using templates for images, such as flowers or seasonal images because it helps guide my creations. Templates are also ideal for young children to help make their images.

Another material that I offer to children when they are creating with paper mache are tweezers. These can help place the pulp in smaller spots on a page and some kids may prefer it because it keeps their hands from getting messy.

You can also use a canvas or thick paper, such as cardstock, as a background for your art. This is a great option to let kids imagination run wild and create anything they want.

Creating Paper Mache Art

If you are looking for some seasonal paper mache ideas, check out a holiday collection of 5 Easy Christmas Paper Mache Ideas each with their own festive template.

Once you create your image, let it dry for at least 24 hours. Depending how much water you left in the paper mache it can take a few days to dry. Be careful where you place your art to dry. Because of the glue in the pulp and water it may soak the paper and then stick to anything it is placed on. A sheet of plastic wrap or a thick backing can help avoid this problem.

Once it is dry, you can add details with a marker or paint. You can also cut out your image and glue it to a colored background.

Happy creating!

How to Make Paper Mache Free Recipe

Download Here

Grab the free printable recipe below. Click the box and subscribe through Grow to download the printable right away. If you subscribe this way you will also unlock all of the other printables on this site.

Shortly after you subscribe you will receive an email with a link to the Free Resource Library. The library is filled with over 100 free printable resources. You can download and print any that are of interest to you. From free escape room games to math and language resources, you’re sure to find valuable pages for your needs.