My youngest daughter has always been fascinated with ancient Egypt. This unique part of history never seems to loose it’s lure. Creating a paper mache bowl with an Egyptian flair was a fun way to explore her interests and learn about hieroglyphs and Egyptian art.
This was the first time (in 13 years of mothering) that I’ve ever done a paper mache project with my girls. I know, they’re so deprived! I’ll admit it – I was afraid of the mess.
Amazingly, this project is not nearly as messy as I expected. And it was way more fun.
They’re already planning their next paper mache project.
Here’s a finished Egyptian bowl, decorated with hieroglyphs.
What you will need to create paper mache pottery:
- Bowl or plate to use as a mold
- Plastic wrap
- White glue
- Brushes for glue and paint
- Newspaper
- Paint (white for base coat, yellow ochre or yellow and orange blended and black)
- Scissors
- Black Sharpie (optional)
Directions for creating your paper mache pottery:
- Place the bowl upside down and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Tear newspaper into long thin strips.
- Paint the plastic with a layer of glue, then add paper strips. Repeat, creating 4 layers of glue and paper.
- Allow to dry over night.
- Carefully remove your paper mache bowl from the mold and remove the plastic wrap.
- Trim and even out the edges of the bowl with scissors if desired.
- Paint the bowl with white base color, inside and out. Allow it to dry. If necessary, add another coat of paint.
- Paint inside and out with your primary color.
- Decorate with Egyptian hieroglyphs or designs.
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- Shredded Newspaper
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- Cover your mold with plastic wrap.
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- Layering paper and glue.
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- Adding more glue.
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- White base coat.
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- Adding color.
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- Vulture hieroglyph
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- Black hieroglyphs on the edge of paper mache bowl.
If you and your kids enjoy making paper mache pottery, this project could be easily adapted to any ancient culture you are studying. We are considering doing a series of pottery projects to represent each culture we have studied.
This post is a part of the series 5 Days of {Summer} Homeschool Art Projects.
