Making Paper Mache Planets

Making handmade crafts at home is a great way to boost up your creativity. Paper mache is a very versatile medium that can be utilized for making a wide range of paper items ranging from balls, planets, faces, flowers, masks, boats, sabots, etc. Paper mache is a composite material made by mixing glue, gum, starch textiles, etc. It's an adhesive substance that holds the paper materials together due to its heavy consistency. Making paper mache planets is a very common elementary level craft work that students love to work on with their own innovative ideas. We shall find out some creative ways to make this paper mache solar system project a splendid one.

How to Make Planets out of Paper Mache?

If you have the paper mache ready at hand, then you can directly start making the planets. Paper mache could also be prepared at home with common household materials. The glue has a very thick consistency that immediately sticks papers and other materials on to the surface. Making the planets is not at all a difficult task and you can utilize the following steps for making it.

Making the Paper Mache Paste

• Boil 5 cups of water in a saucepan and add 1 cup of white flour to it. Stir the mixture continuously.
• Now add 2 teaspoons of white glue to the mixture and keep stirring under a low flame.
• Ensure that the flour has dissolved completely in the solution and no coagulation has taken place.
• You can adjust the consistency by adding desired amount of flour and water.
• Let the paper mache mixture cool to form a smooth paste.

Making the Planets

• This glue will be utilized for pasting the papers and fixing them tightly on the artificial planets.
• The planets could be made from balloons, thermocol, cardboard or molded round shaped structures.
• Refer to a model of solar system for making the planets. Start inflating the balloon according to the size of the planets and keep them aside.
• If you are making the planets with thermocol, then you have to cut them into circular pieces with a knife.
• Making paper mache planets with cardboard is also possible. You have to buy a moderately hard cardboard paper and then roll it in the form of a ball. Ready-made cardboard balls are also available in departmental stores.
• You will require loads of newspaper for fixing them on the planets with the paper mache.
• Cut strips from newspapers having approximate size of 7-8 inches in length and 3-4 inches in width.
• The balloons are coated with the newspaper strips. Paper mache glue is applied on the newspaper strips with a paint brush which is glued to the surface of the balloons.
• You have to apply heavy coats of glue on the papers so that they do not fall off.
• Apply the same procedure for coating the cardboard balls or themocol balls. Coat the balls uniformly with the newspaper strips and ensure that they resemble planets.
• Let them dry overnight before you proceed with coloring the planets.
• Check next day if the paper mache mixture has dried completely. Give it some more time to dry if it hasn't dried adequately.
• Start painting the planets with specific colors to make them look original.
• To bring out the color more brightly you can replace newspapers with blank white sheets.
• Allow the colors to dry and then hang them on a plastic stand having 9 arms for the planets and a centrally located axis for the sun.
• The stand could also be created with the help of cardboard. Cut out 9 long strips of cardboard and a comparatively thicker strip separately.
• Make the axis with the thick strip and secure the other strips with glue and woolen threads to its stem.
• Add a hook at the end of each arm and fix the paper mache planets into it. This completes the solar system project work with paper mache.

Paper mache is a cheaper alternative to plasters and expensive glues. The water-flour mixture is an excellent adhesive capable of holding papers and fabrics tightly on specific substrates. Apply this idea for making any type of craft work to get a good result in a cost-effective manner.