Paper mache Jolly ball
This project is the creative work of michelle Rideout.
Newspaper was used in the first ball as a test project, then unbleached paper was used.
newspaper ink is toxic, so please use unbleached paper.
You can buy news offcuts (newspaper without the ink) from your local chippy, bakers, or removal company.
It comes in 10kg packs and will cost about £7 Just ask them if they will sell you a pack.
You can buy online, but with postage costs it makes it expensive.
Materials Needed:
Water
Flour
Balloon
Instructions:
To make this paper mache past, simply mix together 1 part flour to 2 parts water. You will want it to be the consistency of thick glue, but you also want it to be runny and not thick like paste. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to remove any lumps.
Tear paper into strips. The length of your strips may vary depending on the size of your balloon.
Dip one piece of newspaper at a time into prepared paper mache paste. You want to newspaper strip saturated.
Hold the strip over the paste bowl and run it through your fingers to squeeze off excess paste.
Stick the paper strip over the balloon, and smooth it down with your fingers.
Completely cover your balloon with a layer of newspaper strips. They should all be over-lapping and running in different directions.
After one layer is applied, let it dry completely.
This can take up to 24 hours.
Add a second layer of newspaper strips and let it dry completely.
Repeat this process until you get the desired effect, but you should have at least three layers of paper mache paper strips.
when dry, pop your ballon and remove from the middle of your ball.
cut holes in the ball the size required for your bird, and add leather to hang up the ball
decorate and hang up for your bird
The ball in the pictures below was finished off with unbleached paper. So inside the ball is newspaper, and the outside is white.
For some reason, the unbleached paper (news off cuts) was a lot stronger than the newspaper, and makes the jolly ball tougher
More Jolly ball pictures to come soon,
please call back, Michelle has more paper mache projects on the go.
She has the paper mache bug, and there is no stopping her.
Her birds are having a great time with the ball, They love it!! so this is well worth doing for your bird.
Please give it a go, and let us know how you get on,
Yvonne & Michelle xx
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