How to make paper mache without flour or flour?

One of the most common, and easiest, ways to create paper mache is to use glue and water as the paste . A few different types of glue will work, but most people use wood glue or white Glue-All. Using glue is very similar to using flour, but it creates a stronger structure that is less likely to rot.

What is a good substitute for flour in paper mache?

Other no-flour options for paper mache: Wood glue mixed with water dries faster than ordinary paste. It also dries on your fingers and it's hard to wash off.

How to make strong paper mache clay?

The recipe for paper mache clay 1 1/4 cups damp toilet paper. 1 cup premixed drywall joint compound in a plastic tub* see note below before purchasing joint compound! 3/4 cup Elmer's Glue-All or any PVA glue. 1/2 to 1 cup white flour (adjustable) 2 tablespoons mineral oil (optional)

Is cornstarch or flour better for paper mache?

While most papier-mache recipes call for all-purpose flour, you can also make it using corn starch instead. A mixture of water, sugar, vinegar and corn starch will produce a sticky papier-mache paste that functions the same as a flour-based paste.

What is an alternative to paper mache clay?

Paper clay can be made with any sort of recycled paper , although it might be fun to use colored construction paper if you use a white clay that lets the bits of paper show through. The clay does not need an armature like paper mache, because it can stand up on it's own.

Which paper mache recipe is the strongest?

Form our years of making paper mache at summer camp and in the classroom, we find that flour is strong and durable. PVA glue, like elmer's glue, of course is also strong and durable, but as flour is so cheap and also eco friendly, I would always put the flour paper mache recipe first.

How to make paper magic clay?

One way to make paper clay is to do it yourself. You select the right paper (without shiny coatings, for example), soak the paper in water, then use a paint mixer to blend the mixture into pulp. Then you wedge this paper pulp into your clay . As a start, you might add about 5% pulp by volume.

How do you harden paper clay?

If you're in a hurry, you may put your unpainted projects in a 250 degree oven for 30 minutes or until dry. 7. Sanding, carving, etc. - After Paperclay® dries, it can be sanded and carved like wood.

What is the difference between paper mache clay and paper mache?

Paper mache ( aka Papier Mâché ) usually refers to layering strips of paper dipped in glue or paper mache paste ( a flour mixture of 1 part flour mixed with 2 parts water) over a mold or structure. Paper clay (aka paper mache clay) is a mixture of paper pulp with a few simple ingredients like flour or school glue.

How to paper mache without flour?

Mix 1 part PVA craft glue with 2 parts water to make your paper mache paste. You don't need to be super accurate – there is no need to measure out your ingredients, it is fine to approximate this by eye. But a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part PVA glue is a good rule of thumb.

How to make paper mache with Elmer's glue?

instructions Cover a flat surface with newspaper. Mix about 1/4 cup of glue and a small amount of water in a medium-sized bowl. The mixture should be runny. Tear the newspaper into small strips. Blow up several round balloons. Dip the strips of newspaper into the glue mixture.

How to make paper mache with household items?

directions Combine flour and cold water in bowl. Add this mixture to 2 cups boiling water in saucepan. Bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let cool. Will thicken as it cools. Once it thickens and cools it is ready to use. Dip newspaper strips in papier mache and take off excess. More items...

Paper Mache Clay Recipe Without Flour • Ultimate Paper Mache (2024)

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Why do we need a recipe for paper mache clay without flour?

A lot of people have told me that they’re concerned about the flour in my original paper mache clay recipe. This is usually because they live in places where there are a lot of mice or insects that are attracted to flour. And some people are very allergic to the gluten in flour, so they can’t use the original recipe.

We recently received a comment from Suzan Gamble, who told us that she makes her dog sculptures with paper mache clay – but she doesn’t use the flour that the original recipe calls for. She didn’t mention mice, but she did say that she’s never had any problems with mold, even when she keeps the wet clay for long periods of time.

So, if Suzan can do it, it’s obviously possible. It was time for me to see if I could develop a new recipe for No-Flour Paper Mache Clay that comes out the same way every time.

So I gave it a try, and used it for one of my latest sculpture patterns, the giraffe. The pattern is now available (and you can make with any paper mache recipe, including this one).

Why is there flour in the original recipe?

The flour is in the original recipe to soak up extra moisture so the paper mache clay won’t be too wet.

And the extra moisture is in the original recipe because it makes the paper soft enough to fall apart when you use a cheap mixer to make your paper mache clay, like the one I own.

The flour absorbs the extra water and makes the paper mache clay stiff enough to actually use.

This week I decided to experiment. I wanted to see if I could make a paper mache clay recipe without flour that has the same thickness as the original recipe.

And it had to work without a big food processor like the one Suzan uses, because I don’t have one.

The gadget that makes this recipe work:

The new recipe requires a small, cheap food processor/chopper, like the one I bought to chop up walnuts. I think it cost about $12 when I bought it. It was $16.69 yesterday on amazon.com, but today it’s $18.95. Go figure….

I would not use an expensive food processor to chop the paper, but if you’re brave and you don’t think it will burn out the motor, go ahead and try it. (But don’t say I told you to!)

Step 1: Get the Toilet Paper Wet

This recipe starts just like the original recipe for paper mache clay – we get the toilet paper wet so we can measure it.

But then we do something very different…

But this time, because I’m going to use that little cheapo food processor, I squished all the water out.

Step 2: Squeeze Out the Water

As you can see, I’m squishing as much of the water out as I can.

Step 3: Chop up the Paper

Tear the damp paper into smaller pieces, so the blades won’t have to chop through a big hunk of paper. We don’t want to burn out the motor.

Turn on the chopper and leave it on until the paper looks like shredded coconut, as shown below.

Step 4: Add the Other Ingredients

The amounts I used for this small batch of No-Flour Paper Mache Clay:

1 cup shredded damp paper
2/3 cup of drywall joint compound
1/2 cup of PVA Glue (Elmer’s Glue-All or Clear)
(Optional) 1 tablespoon baby oil/mineral oil or linseed oil. If you don’t have any, just leave it out. It won’t hurt anything.

Use the premixed joint compound, not the powdered kind that contains plaster.

And remember – don’t use DAP joint compound. When that brand is mixed with PVA glue it turns into rubber. Use Sheetrock brand, or the joint compound they sell at Walmart in the paint department – or any brand you can find that isn’t made by DAP. If you can’t find any locally, you can order it from amazon.com.

If you aren’t sure what what drywall joint compound is called in your country, some of our readers have made suggestions here.

Use any PVA glue. (I’ve tried wood glue before, and it didn’t work.) Elmer’s Glue-All and Clear are PVA glues, and they’re easy to find in the US. Most white glue is PVA glue.

Step 5: Mix

I’m using a $13 mixer. It’s plenty strong enough for paper mache clay.

Note: If you have problems with the motor on your mixer getting too hot, you might be using too much paper, or the paper hasn’t been chopped up enough. If you’re making the original recipe and the motor gets hot, you might be squeezing too much water out of the paper.

I added my paper shreds a little at a time so I could see how thick the paper mache clay was getting. Because the paper is almost dry, it will soak up the moisture in the mixture and thicken the PM clay, just like the flour does in the original recipe.

I only added one cup of paper this time, but I used more paper for the first layer on my giraffe.

Less paper makes the mixture smoother. More paper makes it thicker, and it isn’t quite as easy to get a very thin layer on your armature – but the thicker paper mache clay can be used to sculpt small details.

The texture of the mixture with more paper added:

The first layer on my giraffe – you can see the natural texture of the paper showing through. You can use a knife to make it a little smoother, but you’ll always have some texture.

The texture of the the mixture with less paper added:

The area right above the knife is the new layer made with the mixture that has just one cup of shredded paper. It still shows some texture, but not as much.For even less texture, you can try the Silky-Smooth Air Dry Clay recipe, instead.You’ll notice that I didn’t add paper mache clay to the ears or eyelashes on my giraffe. I used paper strips and paste in those areas because paper mache clay isn’t as easy to use over sharp edges.

Now it’s your turn …

If you try the new recipe for paper mache clay with no flour, please let us know what you think of it. Can you think of specific reasons why it would be helpful to leave out the flour? Have you been reluctant to make something with paper mache because you were concerned about the flour in the paste or paper mache clay?

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