PAPIER MACHE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 714, 14 December 1933, Page 2

PAPIER MACHE

INTBRESTING ART. USEFUL CHRISTMAS GIFTS. ■Wlith Christmias close 011 our heels there is always the question of yuletide gifts to consider, arid the Selection of gifts, both useful and dainty, to bestow upon our friends at this festive' season. 'Quite a number of you possibly have heard of papier maehe, by which •the most chatriling dishes and other useful articles are fashioned from ' plain and fancy wallpapers; but for those who are not conversant with the methods of this fascinating art, below is a detailed explanation of papier maehe which has been. kindly supplied by Mrs. A. Newson. .Most delightful articles can be made at a minimum expense, and : Christmas preserits in this dainty art prove an everlasting delight to the recipient. The Materials. The principal materials employed in papier maehe are a fruit dish or plate to act as a mould for the article you wish to make; lard of vaseline. plain wallpaper and fancy paper freizes; flour paste; benzine; clerir duco, and any clear varnish, preferahly copal -varnish. The Method. ' Select a fruit dish or plate which you wish to use as a mould and coat the outside with a layer of lard or vaseline. Tear some of the wallpaper into pieces about li inches and fit on to the greased side of the mould, with the coloured side of the p,aper ' inwards. Next paste apother layer of strips over the first layer, but this time see that the coloured side of the paper is facing outwards. Should, there .be any wrinkles, tear and fold over, as smoothness is one of the principal essentials. Wlhen this is done, leave the article to dry in the sun. "When dry add sufficient layers of the paper pieces until you have the required thickness for the article you wish to mould, being careful to follow the method of the first .two layers, and also to see that each layer is perfectly dry and hard before you apply the next one. When you have the required thickness, trim the mould to the shape of the dish and remove it, at the same time being sure to pull away any loose pieces of paper that have not •been absolutely attached to themould. Rub the inside with a cloth soaked in benzine to remove the grease. To Fiitish. Take a fairly plain piece of wallpaper, tear in into pieces and fit over the outside of the mould, being careful to overlap each piece of paper to ensure a neat finish and allow enough' overlap at the top edge so that it may he folded over into the inside of the dish. Next line the inside of the mould with corresponding paper and decorate around with paper flowers and fruit, which can be cut from any piece of an attractive wallpaper freize, and paste on to the mould. Leave until the article is perfectly dry and hard; then co.a.t with clear duco, and afterwards brush with copal or any other clear varnish. The finished article looks exceedingly dainty and makes a delightful Christmas gift, both from an aftistic point of view and also for its lightness in weight and 0 unbreakable qualities.