Cat in papier maché , part 2

Part 2 :

How to make the cat itself .

In part one , I explained to you how to make some papier mâché paste . I gave you some alternative recipes as well. Now we are all ready to start the "real" lesson : the students will learn to make a cat in papier mâché . How exciting ! They will love it !!!

Material needed : Here is what you will need :
* some clean empty plastic bottles ( like Gatorade , soda or juice bottle )
* some uncooked rice
* some dry beans
* a funnel
* a plastic spoon
* some labels (one for each student)
* sharpies
* some aluminum foil
* cardboard (from old cereal or cookie boxes)
* a pencil
* scissors
* masking tape
* newspaper (that you will have collected from the students )
* papier mâché paste (we made in part 1)
Activity :
(1) Each student will fill the bottle with some rice (using a funnel and a plastic spoon). They will add a little bit of dry beans and then mix .(The rice and the beans will put some weight in the bottle , which will prevent it to tip later on .) Close the bottle .



(2) Have the students write their name on a label with a sharpie . Then have them glue the label at the bottom of their bottle . (It will make the identification of each cat easier after they dry !)



(3) Next ask each student to make a ball with some aluminum foil .

They should cover it with about half a page of a newspaper ...



and secure it with some masking tape at the top of the bottle . This will be the head of their cat .


(4) To make the tail , each student will need another piece of aluminum foil . This time they will roll it as if they were making a snake with play dough ...

They should cover it with a newspaper page as well and secure it with masking tape ...


And attach it to the base of the bottle with masking tape as shown .



(5) For the ears , the students will simply draw two triangles on a piece of cardboard ...

cut them with their scissors ...



and attach those two triangles to the head with masking tape . The ears can be a little bit tricky to secure and some students may need your help with it .



(6) Each students will then gather a few (2 to 4) pages of newspaper and and tear it up in pieces of all sizes and lengths (long , short , wide , narrow).



(7) The students are now ready to dip their strips of paper , one at a time , in the papier mâché paste .(Each student should be provided with a small paper bowl containing some papier mâché paste .)



After dipping the strip in the papier mâché paste , they should directly adhere the strip to the bottle and smooth it with their fingers . They should start at the bottom and work their way to the top , go over the head , the ears and of course the tail . Once they are done , they should go over a second time , so they will have two coats of papier mâché .




Now they will have to let it dry...until next lesson ...

Cat in papier mache , part 1

Part 1 :

How to make papier mâché paste .

This lesson will have to be separated in 3 parts :

Part1 : How to make the papier mâché paste . (Only for teachers , art docents or parents)
Part 2 : How to make the cat itself .
Part 3 : Painting and finishing touches .

Grade level : I made this lesson with 5th graders . I know some teachers (or even some parents ) do not like projects that involves messes ....but they are ALWAYS the ones the children have the most fun with ! However you should remember that when the kids want to do something fun , they will be willing to compromise . They will behave themselves during the lesson and they will help clean up the mess at the end ! So relax and have fun with this project =0)

Art concept and skills : This project give the children the possibility to experiment with 3D . I find that students are always very enthusiastic with 3D lessons . They are able to focus much more on their work , maybe because they are so amazed of what they can accomplish .

If you are a teacher I will recommend that you start asking your students to bring old newspapers at school about one month before the lesson . They will be very generous ! Try not to reveal what the plan is ...they will be very curious and excited about it ! You may also ask that every child brings an empty clean SMALL plastic bottle (bottles of Gatorade or juice are excellent choices . (The newspaper and the plastic bottle will be needed for the 2nd part of this lesson , not this one .)

Materials needed : For making the paste you may need different items depending of the "recipe" you choose . (Some people follow a formula using glue , other use wallpaper paste .) Here I am listing the ingredients needed for the "recipe" I use . You will need :
(1) a medium pan
(2) a whisk
(3) measuring cups
(4) 1 cup of flour
(5) 5 cups of water
(6) 2 tablespoon of salt ( to prevent the papier mâché to mold .)
(7) a plastic container to store the final product .



"Recipe" : Mix flour , water and salt in the pan . Boil for about 3 minutes (whisking from time to time and making sure it does not stick to the bottom of your pan ). It will become a little bit like pudding . Let it cool . Store it in a plastic container and put in the refrigerator .



This is the cheapest method and it is nice and smooth .

Resources : As I said before there are plenty of papier mâché paste recipes . I found the one I use on a website called DLTK's Crafts for Kids . You can find more papier mache recipes (with flour , wallpaper paste and glue) on PlanetPals.com .

Another good website is called The Papier Mache Resource . Besides recipes it also contains some tutorials . Please RESPECT those fabulous artists work ! It is meant to inspire not to copy their work !

The second part of the lesson will be much more exciting and fun. I will try to have it ready as soon as possible .