Paper Mache Balloons

Another project that has been done by many.....but is always popular with my students. It is very messy and chaotic and does need quite a bit of preparation, but the results are worth it!

 Firstly, you will need balloons blown up to a medium capacity. Make a half and half mix of water and PVA glue and cut up LOTS of newspaper strips! We used large plastic plates to put our glue into so that we could lay our newspaper strips into the mix and get it well coated before applying it to the balloon. It will need multiple layers, but it is a bit of a balance between making it strong enough and not making it so thick and heavy that the balloon pops and the paper mache isn't able to maintain its shape. Don't forget to lay plastic sheets EVERYWHERE and have prepared buckets of warm water and sponges for the clean up!

To finish them off we painted brightly coloured patterns on with acrylic paint.