Description:
I experimented with two types of paper mache clay, one made from egg cartons and another from cardboard. What makes them special is that both use only two simple ingredients: glue and paper. No flour or starch!
Materials Used
- Egg Cartons Or Cardboard
- School Glue Or White Glue
- pots/ big bowls
- cloth for draining water
- Blender
- Ladle
- Water
- Measuring Cups
Backstory:
I’ve already shared my newspaper, paper mache clay recipe on my blog, YouTube, and Pinterest, and it’s been loved across all platforms. But I realized that not everyone has easy access to newspaper anymore, most of us read the news online these days! Since paper mache is a favorite topic among my readers and viewers, I wanted to experiment with other paper sources that are easier to find. That’s how this recipe using cardboard and egg cartons came to life.
Video Overview Of Paper Mache Clay Making
Written Overview Of paper Mache Making:
Note:The process of making paper mache clay with egg cartons and cardboard is basically the same. So if you don’t have egg cartons, no problem at all! just use cardboard and follow the same steps. In this post, I’m showing the recipe with egg cartons, but you can easily swap them out.
Process Overview
1. As shown in the below, tear egg cartons into small pieces and gather them in a pot.
2. Pour boiling water over the pieces. Make sure they are completely submerged.
3. With a ladle, sauté the pieces in water to make sure all of them are wet.
4. Cover the pot and leave it overnight.
5. The next day, blend the softened pieces with water in a blender to make pulp.
6. Pour the pulp into a cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible to get a nice, damp paper pulp mass.
7. Break the pulp mass into smaller pieces so the clay won’t be lumpy.
8. Add glue to the pulp and knead until you get a soft, smooth ball.
9. To test the clay, form a small ball and a rope. If it holds its shape, your clay is ready.
10. Save the clay in a Ziplock bag in a air tight container.
Tips and tricks
- Soak the paper pieces overnight since the paper used here, (i.e. egg carton) is thick. Newspaper breaks down withis a short time but thick paper takes a long time.
- Break the damp pulp mass into pieces to avoide lumpy clay.
Projects Made with Egg Carton Clay and Cardboard Clay
These are a few projects I made.
Announcement 1.
I’ll be sharing the video link to a brand-new paper mache clay project in my November newsletter for subscribers. So stay tuned you don’t want to miss it!
Announcement 2.
Flourless Paper Mache Clay Recipe PDF
I’ve created a detailed Flourless Paper Mache Clay Recipe PDF, available on my Etsy shop!
With this PDF, you’ll get:
Measurements in cups
Complete materials list
Step-by-step instructions with photos
Links to videos showing the kneading process up close
- More Tips And trick
- Comparison with regular clay
- Project photos for inspiration
Having the measurements takes out all the guesswork and helps you save both, time and materials.
The kneading videos let you see exactly how I make the clay up close, so you can get the same smooth, workable texture every time.
All of this is for just $3!
Please check it out here
Final Note
I hope you enjoyed the idea of experimenting with two different types of paper to make paper mache clay. If you’d like to see how to turn this clay into fun projects, let me know in the comments box!
And of course, if you have any other thoughts, suggestions, or feedback, please feel free to share them. I’d love to hear from you. Also please don’t forget to check out my other posts on this blog. May be you will find inspiration for your own masterpiece!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
