How to Paper Mache: BEST paper, BEST glue recipe, BEST results!

Watch the LESS MESS PAPER MACHE video on my YouTube  channel!

Without a doubt, the most affordable and versatile sculptural medium I can think of is paper maché.  Paper maché is a great way to upcycle your garbage and make big and impressive art on a small budget.  It also works for small models and projects - it really is a wonderfully adaptable media and I'd hate to have the idea that this has to be messy turn you off from what is truly a kickass art form! 

​In this article, I'll give you all the tricks I've learned in 30+ years of building things with paper mache. This gluten-free method takes the flour and water slop out of the mix, for a stronger, faster drying, less messy craft time! I'll give you insights into the BEST paper, my tried and true BEST paste recipe, and how to set up your workspace for less mess!

If you'd rather watch a video summary of this article, you can check out my
LESS MESS PAPER MACHE video on my YouTube  channel!

Part 1: A Less Messy Workspace

Setting up a small workspace for paper maché

The key to keeping your mess corralled is to make a corral for your mess. I use a plastic placemat as my worksurface, and confining myself to a smaller area almost subconsciously makes me keep my mess coralled. 

When I use a drop-cloth to cover my table, I find that the mess will spread right to edge of the table - something I've noticed while doing messy projects with kids too! 

I also dislike dropcloths for being slippery and crinkly. I don't like that they can stick to your project and  I don't like wrestling with a sticky dropcloth while I work.

A plastic mat is really easy to clean and is firm and sturdy.  I get mine  from the dollar store, but in case you can't find them,  I've left a link to something similar in my in my Amazon storefront.  If you're really precious about the table you're working on, put down a sheet of cardboard . Secure that with some masking tape so it's not sliding around on you , then put the placemat down on top.​

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Part 2: The Best Paper Mache Paste Recipe

The BEST Paper Mache Glue Recipe!

If you did paper mâché as a kid, you probably used a paste made of flour and water. Flour and water paste is works, and it's also really affordable and accessible.  As easy simple as flour and water paste can be, it can also grow mold, attract bugs, and some find it has an unpleasant odor.

Another disadvantage of flour and water paste is that it's not very tacky until it dries, so you have to get your project really wet to stick the layers of paper together, and all that extra water makes for a sloppy mess!

Your less-messy past option is to make a mix of 50% white (PVA) glue and 50% water. Of the readily available brands, Elmer's “Glue All” is my favorite. ​

Elmer's “School Glue” is a good second-choice and it's often more affordable than “Glue All”, but the “School Glue” has a more watery formula, so mix it at 60 percent glue and 40 percent water.

I'll leave links to both the Glue All and School Glue in my Amazon storefront, but you might be able to find white glue cheaper at your local hardware store. Any jug of white construction glue will work, and buying it from the hardware store is a great money saving hack. 

In addition to being odorless, watered down white glue is slightly tacky while wet, so you don't need to soak your paper to get it to stick. This means a less soggy project, shorter drying times, and most importantly, less drippy mess. It is a bit more expensive than the flour and water paste, but if you can afford a jug of white glue, it'll last you a long time and I think the extra investment is well worth it. ​

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Part 3: The Best Paper

My collection box for the packing paper that I use for paper maché

Newspapers are printed on some really good paper mache paper! However, with many of us opting to read news online, newspapers are becoming increasingly hard to find.  Another disadvantage of newspaper is that it tends to shed ink, making a mess of your hands and the work surface. The less-mess alternative is the brown or white paper used to protect items during shipping.

​I keep an ongoing collection box for paper mache paper. My whole family knows, whenever we get a parcel, the good paper goes into the box. 

If you know anybody who's moved recently or bought dishes, glassware is often wrapped in paper that works super well for paper mâché.

If you can't scavenge any from someone who's recently moved, or you don't receive parcels often, I'll leave a link to some good affordable packing paper in my my Amazon storefront. Your local office supply store might also carry it.

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​Part 4: Preparing Your Paper

The paper will easily rip in a straight line along its grain

Use small patches of paper for small projects

Use large patches of paper for large projects

Prepare your paper by ripping it into strips. The paper will rip straight along its grain. If you give your paper a rip and it doesn't want to rip straight, turn it 90º and try again. 

I don't prefer to work with paper strips. I think small patches of paper are much more efficient to work with and are easier to keep smooth. For this reason, after I've ripped my paper into strip, I'll rip it cross-grain into patches.

The size of your patches will depend on the size of your project. For my small lemon project, I worked with patches that were about the size of a postage-stamp. For the large dragon project, the paper patches were closer in size toa playing card. 

A good gauge of whether your paper patches are appropriately sized is if you're having a hard time getting your paper to lay flat, you probably need to work with smaller pieces.

​The one time I do recommend working with long strips of paper is if you're working on something long and skinny, like a finger or a tail. You can start at one end and just wrap the strip around like a mummy's bandage. 

It's really handy to have a good supply of paper ripped up before you get into the glue. I like to have a couple sizes prepared before I get started. I use some dishes to hold the paper so it doesn't end up flying all over the place as small bits of paper are apt to do.

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Part 5:  Applying Glue and Paper

Applying glue to paper with a firm, synthetic paint brush

Although I don't mind getting my hands dirty, I hate having soggy, gluey hands for an hour while working on my project.

I apply the glue with a paintbrush to avoid getting gluey hands. This also prevents the paper from getting soaked and dripping wet, which means less mess and a shorter drying time.

I use a firm, synthetic brush from a cheap Amazon multipack. I like the nice long bristles, they help to pick up the right amount of glue. I dip the bristles into my glue water mix, put the paper strip down on my placemat, and paint both sides with a thin layer of glue. 

Then I place the strip onto my form and use the paintbrush to smooth it down, really firmly laminating that strip down with a good amount of pressure on the paintbrush.

Work your way around the project, making sure everything is smoothed down nice and tightly, and with this method, you can put multiple layers down on top of this one. If you have two colors of packing paper, a good hack is to alternate colors between layers and this helps you keep track of where you are.

I recommend two to three layers for something where you're going to leave the form inside, or four to six layers if you're going to cut into the form later. Again, with this method, you don't need to let the piece dry between layers. But if you want to walk away, you can just wash your brush, put a lid on your glue, come back, and start another time. 

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Part 6: Clean-Up

Use dish soap and warm water to clean the glue from your paint brush

Clean your brushes with a bit of dish soap and warm water. If you forget and let the glue dry on the brush, soak it in soapy water overnight.  You should be able to break up and rinse off the dried glue. 

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An old gift card make a perfect scraper for dried glue

I find the easiest way to clean the placemat is to actually let the glue dry on it. The next day, give it a spray down with a mild all-purpose cleaner. I use Method brand, but any one will work. Use an old gift card or scraper to scrape off the glue clumps and then give it a wipe down.

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Part 7: Drying Your Project

A paper mache project drying on a shoe rack placed over a forced-air HVAC vent

You'll probably notice that this method of paper mache dries a lot quicker than the old flour-and-water paste method. You can leave your project in a warm, dry place, rotating it after a few hours so you don't end up with a wet spot on the bottom.

​However, I dry most of my smaller pieces on top of my forced air HVAC vents. Like this, they usually dry overnight and I don't ever have a wet spot on the bottom. For larger pieces, you can grab a shoe rack or a cookie cooling thingy and set it over the vent so you don't mess up your floor.

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Part 8: What to Make

If you're looking for a really cool, beginner friendly paper maché project, check out the Wall Mounted Dragon Head project here. I'll walk you through making it step-by-step and the template is a free download for you to get started with this awesome, versatile medium.

If you give this paper mache a try, it would make my day if you’d share your project with me. I’m @JaneSawyerMakes on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Threads,  and Twitter (X). Please share and pin this article!

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