Fast Paper Mache with Foil and Hot Glue Armatures

Are you in a hurry to get your paper mache project done?

Paper mache and paper mache clay will dry just fine without being baked. However, if your armature is safe to use in the oven, baking your project will really speed things up.

I'm not usually in a hurry when I make a sculpture, but it can be frustrating when you want to keep working but you have to stop and let the wet parts get dry. You're in the flow and don't want to stop, but you can't hold the piece in your hands until the wet parts are dry.

When I made the Three Wise Men, I used polymer clay for the heads, hands and feet. That meant they had to go in the oven. That was the first time I baked a foil and hot glue armature, and I was surprised when it worked.

But it still made me nervous.

Thanks to our friend Carib Queen, who suggested covering the armature with a special foil tape, we now have a way to safely bake a paper mache sculpture that's built over a foil and hot glue armature. No dripping, and no small pieces falling off in the oven.

I also like the way the tape smooths out the crumpled foil just enough so it's easier to see the shapes better. Maybe it's just my old eyes, but the sparkles from the crumpled foil make it hard for me to see if the shapes are symmetrical or bumpy. It was easier to see what was going on after the tape was added.

I baked the little cat head at 250° F (121.111° C). There's no way to know exactly how long it will take to dry all the way through. Never paint paper mache if there's even a drop of water still inside.

You can find the foil tape here: https://amzn.to/3hyEPCG
I think I said it cost about $6 in the video. It was actually about $8 - but you get 50 yards so it should last a long time if you only use it on the outside of the foil and hot glue armature.

Bu the way, this tape is used to repair heating ducts, but it is not "duct tape." Totally different stuff.

You can find the first video in the Wise Men series here: https://youtu.be/zkveFv6d-io

You can find the paper mache clay recipe I used for my little cat-face experiment here: https://youtu.be/1YQ6eUqcEh8
The Wise Men were made with the air dry clay recipe. You can find that recipe here: https://youtu.be/YOiovGN-yHA

For an even faster paper mache project, the patterns for the animals behind me in the video create all the shapes for you. You can find the patterns here: https://www.ultimatepapermache.com/patterns

And my sculpting books are available on amazon.com:

Fast Faces - Unleash Your Creativity... https://amzn.to/2DSNXfG
Make Animal Sculptures: http://amzn.to/1nMUO3a
How to Make Masks: http://amzn.to/2obUDmq
Make Tiny Paper Mache Dogs: http://amzn.to/1KXd9zg

You can also join the conversation about this method on my blog post here: https://www.ultimatepapermache.com/fast-paper-mache