- 1). Dry the object you are covering with paper mache to ensure no moisture will be caught beneath the paper mache, which could lead to a slower drying process.
- 2). Remove all lumps of flour from your paper mache paste before you begin covering your object, as the clumps will cause the paper mache to take longer to dry.
- 3). Squeeze away all excess paper mache paste from each strip of newspaper that you add to your project; as long as the paper is coated the paste will harden as needed.
- 4). Cover the entire project one layer at a time; do not attempt to rush through the project by overlapping more than one layer. Allow your paper mache project ample time to dry in between the added layers of paper mache. Give each layer at least 12 hours to dry.
- 5). Feel over the surface of each layer after it has dried to search for soft spots or moist areas, which indicate the paper mache is not dry; you may need to give each layer up to 24 hours to dry, depending on the humidity and temperature in your workspace.
- 6). Hang your project up as each layer dries, if you are making a pinata or other hanging object. Place large objects over the top side of a bowl, so the paper mache is resting on the lip of the bowl, while this type of object dries; you can also do this with the open side of a medium-sized cardboard box. Rotate or flip smaller objects that are placed on a sheet of newspaper every couple of hours.
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