A few weeks ago I mentioned in my Halloween bath bomb tutorial that I make paper mache trick or treat baskets for my kids. And some of you were really interested in knowing how I make them and what they look like.
Well, today your wish is my command. This is obviously not soap or bath/body related, but DIYing tends to spill into many areas of my life and I’m more than happy to share this little craft with you.
Here’s what I love about these paper mache treat baskets:
- they’re easy to make
- they’re cheap to make
- you can upcycle materials you already have in your home (newspapers, balloons)
- they’re easily customizable: my boys are into superheroes this year, so I made a Superman and a Captain America basket. But you can make them in any theme, design and color you want 🙂
- they’re fun for kids to make and help
The downside is that you’ll need a little time for the layers to be dry. This is not something you want to start making Halloween morning 😉
Ok, so let’s get started:
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, will I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.Â
What you’ll need:
- a few regular sized balloons
- glue
- water
- newspaper
- printer paper (optional)
- a flat plastic container and a round tall one
- a non water based paint of your choice (I used glossy acrylic paint)
- a string or ribbon for the handle
- paint brushes
- plastic fork
Instructions:
- cut newspaper into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide strips about 7 Inches (18cm) long
- I like to use regular white printer paper for the very last layer since I feel that it makes the colors come out better. If you choose to do that cut the printer paper the same way as you did with the newspaper
- blow up balloon(s) (depending on how many baskets you wish to make) to about the size of a small soccer ball
- prop balloon(s) up in the tall plastic container with the opening facing down (so that they’re stable while your working)
- prepare the glue/water mixture by adding 1 part of glue to 1 part of water (for example 1 cup of glue to 1 cup of water), combine the mixture well with a plastic fork and pour into flat plastic container
- take a newspaper strip dip it into the glue/water mix and remove the excess by running it through your index finder and thumb
- place it on the balloon and gently press it onto the surface
- repeat this procedure until the entire balloon is covered except for the bottom 1/6 (that’s where the opening will be)
- you will need 4 for layers like this, you can choose to let it dry in between each layer – I’m impatient so I slather everything on there at once, it will take a good 16 hours to dry if you do it all at once though
- for the 5th and last layer use white printer paper (or you can use newspaper) and proceed in the same way
- wait until the paper mache is completely dry and has hardened
- depending on your design you may want to cut out a stencil and trace it onto the basket OR you may want to color it on a piece of paper first, cut it out and then glue it on the already colored basket – you can really get super duper creative here
- paint basket and wait until paint is completely dry
- you may now pop the balloon inside the basket and gently remove it
- cut out the opening using a scissor
- pierce a small hole on each side of the basket with a sharp knife or scissor
- thread the ribbon through the hole and tie a knot on the inside for the handle
Until next time. Happy Tinkering!
Leave a Reply