Paper maché: a clever use of waste paper

A few months back I visited the arts and crafts mela, organized by Lok Virsa, in Islamabad. There at the paper maché stall, I availed the opportunity to learn the art of making products from waste paper. Later when I tried my hand at it, at home, I moulded many decorative and attractive pieces like jewellery boxes, dishes and plates and even delicate and chunky jewellery to match my wardrobe. So I bet that after learning this art, you also would love to try this hobby.

Before giving you instructions about this old craft, let’s discover its background. It was back in around AD105, when T’sai Lun, the Chinese man who is known to have invented paper, also discovered other possibilities for its use besides writing on it. One of his ideas was to fashion solid objects such as trays and decorative boxes, from paper combined with glue.

The ‘pulped paper’ technique appeared in Europe, in France, in the 17th century. It reached England by 1672. It was here in 1772, that Henry Clay introduced a method of pasting paper sheets together. It was called ‘paper-ware’. In 1816, the name ‘paper maché’ was applied by the manufacturers of the time — Jennens and Bettridge of Birmingham, England.

In Asia, it is said that paper maché is a traditional craft of Kashmir, where the artisans made clever use of waste paper to produce all kinds of items. The paper maché industry was very popular with the Mughals. Today this craft is making great strides in Kashmir with the growing vogue for artistic goods.

The craftsmen to produce a product stick several layers of paper on a mould. When dry, they use water colours to paint motifs on the final layer. For preservation of these colours and designs a final coating of varnish is applied.

Today fancy goods such as flower vases, lamp shades, book ends, trays etc are in great demand. An interesting product is a ‘mask’ — available in various designs, shapes and colours. They are used in dances in India.

There are two basic techniques — layering and moulding for beginners. Laying is simpler. You should only use newspapers. Magazines aren’t thought of as good enough. Other material you’ll require is: fine sand paper, sharp knife, brushes, white glue, tissue paper, flour paste (in one glass of water mix 1-1/2 tablespoon of flour and two pinches of salt, bring to boil, stirring quickly to prevent lumps from forming until the mixture is smooth), water colours, varnish, pencil and scissor. Cover your work place with newspapers to prevent a mess. Tear up newspapers into two-inch squares (never cut with scissors, just tear). Cover the back of your mould with damp tissues. This will later make it easier to remove your creation from the mould. Then brush the newspaper pieces with paste. Stick them down to your mould covering it entirely by overlapping the pieces slightly. Smooth the wrinkles. When the first layer is dry, apply another layer. Apply about 15 to 20 layers. Leave to dry further overnight. Drying time can be hastened by drying in a pre-heated oven.

After it has dried completely, trim the rim carefully with a sharp knife or scissors. Finish your dried object by sanding until it is quite smooth. Paint your piece (two coats are ideal). Varnish with two or three coats of varnish, letting each one dry before applying the next. Car spray paints add a metallic lustre. Now it’s a time to show off your creation. (Amna Nasir jamal)