Paper Mache Easter Eggs!

A week or so ago a phone book appeared on our doorstep. The interwebs are rife with "how to opt out" posts, but I forgot. A friend sent me a link (which I have lost, typical) full of reuse/upcycling ideas for phone books. The one that really excited me? Paper mache!

First you get to take out all your forgot to opt out frustrations on the phone book by ripping it into long strips. Don't cut, rough edges blend better. Then you need a balloon, some flour, water, a tolerance for messiness, and patience.

Flour & water are mixed here. Tolerance & patience not pictured

Basically your paste is flour and water mixed until it's soupy. I like it the consistency of Elmer's glue, but I don't think it matters too much. I actually added a glop of Elmer's to give it a little extra stickiness.

Some people use a paint brush or basting brush to apply the glue. But why? Fingers work way better. So you slather on the paper strips on the balloon this way and that, overlapping, going different directions, covering them completely with the paste, until your whole balloon is covered.
Then you let it dry.
Then you add another layer.
And then you let it dry.
And then you add another layer.
Etc. etc. etc.

I did 4 layers. 

Then you can pop the balloon, if you've left the nozzle end uncovered. If not, no harm done. It's just kind of fun to hear the balloon deflating in there.

Then you paint! I used leftover wall paint, plus some dollar store acrylic paints we had stashed in the closet.

Easter Egg!

I think I may have found a new addiction. Paper mache is awesome.