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An excellent use for shredded paper is to make shredded paper or paper mache clay. It is a enjoyable medium to work with and could be changed into enjoyable rapidly and simply Summer time Fruit Bowls† Combine our do-it-yourself paper mache recipe with paper pulp! Really easy and a ravishing ornament for summer time events or for anybody in search of enjoyable watermelon DIYs!

You’ll be able to then paint to your coronary heart’s content material. We determined to make it Summer time Fruit Bowls: a fruit bowl with melon, orange, lemon and kiwi. Collectively they give the impression of being lovely.
These would additionally look SO BEAUTIFUL with our summer time pencil holders!! Summer time room decor for tweens sorted.
Some background on our papier-mâché bowls (sorry…you’ll be able to skip it!! Hahaha)
In the course of the Easter holidays, the youngsters and I shredded two rubbish baggage of paper. With the 2 baggage of shredded paper left behind, we had been taking a look at various things to make! We’re an enormous fan of “paper mache” and the usage of “layers of newspaper strips” and have made the whole lot from Dino Piggy Banks to Easter Baskets up to now, however we have by no means labored with paper pulp/paper clay. So this was attention-grabbing and thrilling and new to us. We made some shredded paper…
What’s DIY Paper Clay?
Paper clay is mainly a “mashed” model of papier-mâché. Suppose paper. Suppose do-it-yourself papier-mâché pasta. Put all of it collectively, break it up right into a thick pulp and you’ve got paper clay!
It may be used and formed in some ways, like “regular” clay, however you’re a bit restricted in measurement and element. Paper clay is tremendous enjoyable to work with and nice to make use of with molds. Akin to utilizing an current bowl and making paper clay bowls.
From paper clay to watermelon bowls
With summer time fruit designs – melon bowls, orange bowls and lemon bowls – we predict these are nice summer time trip initiatives. As well as, paper pulp is kind of moist. Summer time is a superb time to make these as they dry a lot quicker within the solar. That mentioned, we made these over Easter…simply took 2-3 days longer to dry. So you’ll be able to actually make them at any time of the yr! Nonetheless, what I REALLY love about these paper mache bowls is that they’re so economical and eco-friendly.
We used our papier-mâché pasta, which is created from flour and water and offers nice outcomes! (Love 19 extra use for shredded paper right here). We’re additionally having MORE summer time fruit enjoyable, with this cute and quick-to-make summer time fruit bookmark set! Or try our Melon Paper Followers. Lovely – and sure, these are all a part of our assortment of DIY Watermelon Craft Concepts!
Provides to Make Watermelon Paper Mache Bowls

for the paper pulp:
- shredded paper
- a big bowl to soak in
- hand blender (ask the proprietor for permission first!)
for the paper mache To stay:
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups of water
- a microwave
to make 3 bowls we solely used one small cup flour… you actually do not want a lot, it simply depends upon the dimensions of your undertaking or what number of college students you’re employed with! We like the combination of DIY flour and water paste – as a result of it is low cost and eco-friendly. You’ll be shocked how robust and what a tough materials this paper puree turns into – the starch within the flour does its job. No white glue or college glue wanted!
for making the bowls:
- different bowls as molds (completely different sizes and even completely different shapes is nice)
- cling movie / saran wrap
- acrylic paint (we love this one – US/UK (affiliate hyperlinks))
It is a nice solution to make paper mache bowls since you do not want a balloon… only a bowl. So additionally a bit extra environmentally pleasant (though a layer of plastic wrap is useful – not essential – to take away it from the bowl afterwards. A skinny layer of petroleum jelly may assist). Some individuals like to color the bottom shell with white acrylic paint first, to create a “white canvas”…
How paper mache Bowls do-it-yourself
Try how you can make a paper clay bowl video tutorial on autoplay (I edited it just lately to condense it a bit for straightforward viewing!) video, which I sped up and is enjoyable to observe!
Or view our step-by-step photographs – Papier-mâché Bowls!

1) Soak your shredded paper in a single day (or a number of hours)

2) Use your immersion blender to pulverize it as easily as potential.
3) Make your paper mache paste – combine 1 half flour with 2 elements water. Microwave at full temperature at 10-20 second intervals. Preserve stirring. Ours lasted about 50 seconds. It’s prepared when you’ve a thick paste with a thick glue-like consistency. Attempt to squeeze out any lumps and air bubbles.
4) Combine 1 half paper mache paste with 3 elements paper mache pulp – BUT PUSH SO MUCH WATER FIRST.
Time to SHAP your bowls

5) Line your bowls with cling movie. You may also use the OUTSIDE of the bowls – BUT – these bowls are inclined to shrink as they dry, so in case you are utilizing the skin of a bowl ensure that to take away your bowl whether it is nonetheless barely damp in any other case it is going to be fairly tough to get it out of the bowl. The within is less complicated, because the bowl shrinks and truly pushes away from the edges.
Fastidiously place the bowl at about 1/3 of an inch. Not too fats. Not too skinny.
LET DRY – this may take UP TO ONE WEEK!
In the event you take away the bowl whereas it’s nonetheless barely damp, you need to use scissors to trim the highest of the bowl barely (in case you like!)
6) As soon as dry, fastidiously take away the plastic. If you must put them within the oven on low warmth for an additional drying time.. I are inclined to put it within the oven (with out plastic!!) AFTER I’ve cooked one thing – i.e. utilizing the power used to preheat the oven – no “additional power consumption”!
Time to PAINT your paper mache bowls

7) Begin portray. Paint them nonetheless you want – we made our summer time fruits – a watermelon bowl, an orange bowl and a lemon bowl. However you’ll be able to paint them nonetheless you need – they are often dotty, splogy, stripey, monochrome, major colours… something you need. Perhaps make a day of the earth?!

Watch this pretty little video displaying how you can paint a watermelon bowl:
We did it on this order:
- Paint the within first (as much as the sting)
- Let dry
- Flip round and paint the skin!
And completed. Aren’t these papier-mâché bowls merely lovely? I like love love them. They might additionally make an awesome Mom’s Day present or Christmas current for teenagers to make!
Try this different 19 nice makes use of for shredded paper†

Extra Nice DIY Watermelon Craft Concepts:

In search of extra presents for teenagers to make? Check out this one:

Our paper clay bowl video tutorial can also be accessible on YouTube
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