The secret ingredient is a plastic glove. I tried it with the stretchier latex gloves and the looser kind I’m demonstrating with. Both work, they just produce slightly different results. The hardest part about this is letting it dry overnight. But you must. It needs to dry slowly and thoroughly for maximum stiffness. I placed mine on top of cabinets to get the benefit of extra heat up high. I sure do love waking up to some dry miniature paper mache.

let’s make miniature halloween treat buckets

you will need:

• plastic or latex glove – both work – they produce slightly different results.
• stuffing- I’m using wool – (just don’t use cotton balls – too hard to remove)
• white glue
• coffee filters
• thin string (I’m using kitchen twine – thin and grabs well)
• acrylic paints and brushes for decorating
• wire or thread for a handle
• large needle
• exacto knife – you want a nice fresh and sharp blade

1. Cut off a finger and add little bits of wool stuffing – you can try poly fill but I would not use cotton balls- they are hard to remove. And cut  4 – 8 inch lengths of string.

2. The finger will want to assume a sausage shape- you need to tamp the stuffing down with a chopstick or similar.

3. Shape the ball with your fingers and twist the top tightly.

4. Use the string to tie it off tightly like a ballon.

5. Paint the ball with white glue – leave the 1/4 inch around the string free of glue.

6. Using 1/4 of a paper towel place the ball in the center and drape the towel over like you are wrapping a lollipop – press the towel into the glue.

7. Tie off the towel very tightly with one of your strings.

8.  Paint on glue- again avoiding the 1/4 inch surrounding the string.

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9. Drape a coffee filter.

10. Press it into the glue and tie it off.

11. Apply glue again- avoiding 1/4 inch around the string.

12.  Drape and tie another coffee  filter.

13. Add a last layer of glue – avoiding the 1/4 inch near the string – use a pencil or skewer to hold it and let it dry thoroughly -at least overnight.

To recap – we have three paper layers- one paper towel and two coffee filters. The final layer is glue.

Check this space tomorrow for part 2- finishing and decorating!