Top Tips for Painting and Decorating Paper Mache Projects

Paper mache art projects can be a lot of fun for children and adults who don’t mind getting their hands a little dirty. Once the project is complete and dried however, you need to think about how you’re going to finish it.

These top tips for painting and decorating paper mache projects give you the information you need to get that art work ready for display.

How you decide to paint or decorate a paper mache project may be dependent upon the intended use for the artwork.

For instance, if you’re making a Halloween mask for a child you’ll want to ensure the paint and finish is safe.

Will the project be touching skin or will they’ll be near enough to breathe the odors coming from it?

If the answer is yes, be sure to use a non-toxic paint.

Tempera paint is made from pigments and water so this would be one non-toxic paint option to consider.

Acrylic paints would be another good option. If you’d like to put a thin protective coating on the project, add water to plain school glue to create a watery mixture.

This can be painted on the project and when the glue has dried it will protect the project and give a slight sheen to it.

Free-standing pieces which will be displayed in a large room as art you may not have to be as careful about.

You may still want to use non-toxic paint, but it won’t be quite as necessary.

It will probably be necessary to use multiple coats of paint, particularly the warmer colors, as the paint may soak into the paper.

If the project you made was a bowl shape or like an ancient piece of pottery, consider using a dry brush technique to give the project the desired look.

If you used brown paper bags in the project itself, you won’t need to paint the piece brown.

You can use a dry brush to accentuate some of the edges of the paper to give the impression of cracks.

Use a faux marble painting technique to give your project a heavier look.

Marbling is often accomplished by using sponges to layer different colors of paint on a surface.

Then a feather is dragged through white paint and pulled across the painted surface.

You can find out more about faux finishes by checking a book out of the library or doing research on the internet.

Decide what type of finish you’d like for the artwork.

You can find water-based polyurethane which would give the project a hardened finish which is shiny.

There is also a clear gloss spray paint which may provide the finish you’re looking for.

Varnish is another option often used with paper mache artwork.

Whichever method you choose, remember to allow the project and the paint to dry completely before adding the finish.

Use some of these tips for painting and decorating paper mache projects to decide how you want to finish your own artwork.

Consider the use of the project to make a better informed choice. You can be proud of the artwork you’ve produced; enjoy it!

There are lots of creative and fun craft ideas for the whole family in our main section here, so just check out Arts and Crafts for Kids.

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