The things you can make with paper mache are only limited by your imagination.

As paper mache dries, it hardens over the mold you have made. You can make puppet heads, Christmas ornaments, piñatas, dolls, dollhouses, boxes, sculptures or bowls. The final dried product can be painted, decoupage or decorated however you please.

Make a form from wire, wadded newspaper, stuffed paper bags, or balloons. For a flat piece, such as a dollhouse or box, you can use a piece of cardboard. Tear newspaper into strips. Narrower strips work best for a rounded mold and larger strips are good for flat or rectangular shapes.

Choose one of the following recipes to make the paste. Dip strips into paste, coating completely, squeezing out excess paste with your fingers. Use the strips to cover your pre-made form. If you overlap the strips, your finished product will look smoother. Allow each layer to dry before adding another layer. Cover your form with at least 2 layers.

Dryer Lint "Paper Mache"

3 cups dryer lint
2/3 cup flour
2 cups water

Mix water and lint, slowly add flour, mix well. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mix holds together forming peaks. Pour out onto several layers of newspaper to cool. Use mix over a base such as a box, balloon or bottle, spreading mix like paper mache. Dry 4-5 days.