One of the five core areas of programming at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley includes the Arts. These initiatives help young people enhance self-expression and creativity, develop multicultural appreciation, provide exposure to and develop skills in crafts and visual, performing and literary arts. The Maxwell Clubhouse has a very popular art room, open to all age levels, for work on various educational art projects. Currently, the children are working on African-themed art projects, specifically, animal masks, as well as learning about Africa and its fauna.
Below is a simple Paper-mâche art room project that can be done at home:
Papier-mâché mask
You can create forms for your papier-mâché projects easily with the use cardboard and masking tape. For round, hollow shapes, try balloons. You can use many items around your home as a base, such as wire or the bottom of a bowl.
Materials needed:
Old newspapers
Papier-mâché paste
Shallow bowl
Water
Form
Papier-mâché paste ingredients and instructions:
1/2 cup non-self-rising wheat flour
1/4 cup powdered resin glue
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups hot water
4 drops oil of cinnamon
Mix flour and resin glue in a saucepan. Make a paste by adding 1/2 cup warm water. Add hot water, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, clear, and smooth. Add oil of cinnamon. Makes about 1 pint.
To make the mask:
Create your papier-mâché form and prepare the papier-mâché paste. Tear newspaper into strips. Dip one piece of newspaper at a time into prepared papier-mâché paste. Hold the strip over the paste bowl and run it through your fingers to squeeze off excess paste. Stick the newspaper strip over the form you want to Papier-mâché, and smooth it down with your fingers. Completely cover your creation with a layer of newspaper strips. They should all be overlapping. After one layer is applied, let it dry about 24 hours. Add another layer of newspaper strips and let dry another 24 hours. Repeat this process until you get the desired effect, but you should have at least three layers. Paint, decorate and proudly display your creation.
