Papier mache shoe rack

About 10 years ago I was a skint student and got fed up with having to buy new shoe racks because the kids and their friends kept destroying them. So I made one out of papier mache. It's still sturdy enough to take the weight of an adult standing on it. 

I started with stuffing toilet roll tubes with pva dampened newspaper for the sides which gave a nice bamboo like effect and covered cardboard sheets with pulp to make the shelves. 

I'll make more detailed posts on  making each piece in later blog posts. I've been trying to save up enough old toilet roll tubes to make something with and hopefully will post a video on you tube. Christmas activities are keeping me busy at the moment.

 

Papier mache furniture is increadably simple to make and very impressive. The only really challenging things are: 

1) getting hold of enough paper for large projects. 

2) time - waiting for everything to dry thoroughly takes a lot of patience

3) space, especially for large projects. 

4) remembering less is more - thinner layers take more patience but it's much easier to correct mistakes.

 

Apparently making it drove me to drink.

Keeping kids busy

 I asked my children what it was like growing up with me. We live in a house with no sofa (I've made so much furniture we don't have space for a proper sofa) or inside doors downstairs (I tried restoring them from the 70's panelling and discovered lead paint that my landlord took them away to deal with, very slowly) and way too much clutter. I worry that they missed out on a lot of normal things. But apparently they appreciated having cars made out of boxes, giant heads and an army of dinosaurs, being entertained by origami creatures whilst we were waiting for things. And my eldest (who is now 20) is actually proud of the things I make. Although I think the kids kind of like telling people about the papier mache furniture - not everyone believes it could be strong enough to actually use. As I write this I'm curled up on a large and surprisingly comfortable papier mache chair. Not all kids are the same but most kids enjoy being creative. Schools have to follow a curriculum and they don't have time to allow children to freely think up their own designs and learn for themselves. To just be creative and free can make crafting and art so much more fun.

 

Cardboard boxes

These are a great form of entertainment no matter how big or small. The larger ones can be cars or boats or even play houses. The smaller ones make great houses for dinosaurs, dolls or ramps for cars. And it doesn't have to be perfect, don't be put off by not feeling like you're artistic or creative. The harder it is to guess what you've made the more you're 'fostering their imagination and they just appreciate that time, effort and love you're spending on them. Once you're done with it then it can usually go in the recycle bin and then it's onto the next project.  

Old receipts and bits of scrap paper 

Origami doesn't have to be complicated. There are some more simple designs to get you started. Someone once told me you can either do origami or you can't but I believe it's just a matter of patience. I'm not so great at origami myself, some designs have taken me weeks to master. Little balls of screwed up paper have filled a pan ready to make pulp whilst

Simple origami leaves

 These are incredibly simple but effective origami leaves. 

 

You will need:

1 square of paper

a little time and patience. 

Fold your square of paper in half

Unfold it

Fold the uncreased corners in to meet the centre fold - you can fold them in a little less to change the shape of your leaf.

Fold it back along the middle crease

Choose one end and fold it over in a concertina fashion. As long as the folds are fairly even you will still get the leaf effect.

Keep going until you run out of leaf and then unfold the two sides. 

 

I would highly recommend not using card as I have here. Thinner paper works better as long as it's strong enough to create a firm crease.