Papier Mache bowls
I’ve been wanting to make papier mache bowls from egg cartons for soooo long, and waited until I had enough of those delicious purple Cadbury egg cartons to give it a try. So over the long Easter weekend I made good on my plan and started experimenting.
-
First I ripped up the egg cartons into a bowl into bite size chunks.
-
-
-
I immersed all in water and left overnight to soak.
-
-
The next day I drained the water from the mix and kneaded the soggy bits together to squeeze out as much water as I could.
-
-
I then got my hand whisk out and reduced the mix to a fine almost powdery texture – it was just delicious to the touch.
-
-
-
Finally all I had to do is spread the mix around the inside of a bowl, pressing it hard against the surface with my thumbs so it formed an even skin on the bowl.
-
-
-
I left it to dry overnight and into the following afternoon. I knew it was dry and ready to remove from the bowl when I saw it shrink away from the sides…. and with the lightest touch it just lifted up and out to reveal the most beautiful purple papier mache bowl with textured inside and smooth outer surface – oh so perfect.
-
-
-
Out of two egg cartons I got two beautifully purple bowls – they are so light and delicate to the touch, very precious. I’m using one as a ring bowl and the other just sits there elegantly for now. Is it wrong to love a bowl!? :)
Time to get your crafts pants on – start saving your egg cartons now!
Happy Crafting
Michelle
xx
-
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
mollymoocrafts
I love it! I’ll do it too!!
Michelle you’re incredible! I’ll post it on my blog and i’ll do it too ;)
What a lovely and cool craft. :)
This seriously is ONLY egg carton and water ..?! No glue-type products ..? That’s amazing! And gorgeous. I wish we had purple egg cartons around here.
I expect a post about the pros and cons of leaving your eggs on the counter now :)
Awww thank you SO much Valentina. Have fun making xx
Seriously only one egg carton soaked in water Yogi Bear – how cool to be talking to Yogi :))
hahaha! I’m a stand-up comic, so I have to go incognito online. :-) But I’m a huge fan of your site and your crafts. I’m going to have to try this even with the ugly gray cartons around here that are my only choice. and p.s. I have a friend that raises chickens, ducks, turkey and pheasants, and yes, she leaves the eggs on the counter. I’d be nervous with store-bought tho.
I was wondering about the use of glue for this too!! No glue at all?!! That would be so perfect!! The result is stunning!!! And you are so lucky to have the purple egg carton box! We don’t have any other color besides the brown one here :(
Definitely not wrong to love bowls as pretty as yours! Thanks for the tute. :)
No glue Onel – there’s a glue already in the egg carton pulp from it’s original manufacturing process.
Wow!! I’am totally doing this!!! for mother’s day this year! from the kiddos1 Thank you!!! this is co cute and genius to be honest!
http://www.aznannies.com
Wow!! thanks for the amazing feedback Daniela. Happy crafting xx
I wonder if you can put a little dye or food color in the grey egg cartons
Worth a try Sally, it would make for all sorts of fabulousness if it worked. Let me know how you get on. Michelle
Love this! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen purple egg cartons, but we may have to try this with our grey egg cartons. Perhaps we can put a bit of liquid watercolor into the water to turn our grey cartons some other pretty color? :-)
What a cool way to recycle the candy carton! Thanks for sharing at the After School Link Up.
Try some food colouring too Katie xx
Hi Michelle,
This is lovely! What brand is your hand “whisker”?
Thanks!
It’s a Morphy Richards I think Tammy-Jade xx
Hi Michelle, the bowl is awesome and i ran to create one of my own, yet my BRAUN hand blander couldn’t handle it. Maybe you have an idea why?
Thanks! E.
Oh Elona sorry but I don’t know why. All I would say is that you need to go slowly, little pieces at a time – it’s a dense material when wet so the handblender can’t just plough down through the mix as if it was food, it’s more layer by layer until you have blended all. Hope this helps xx
Hey I love the idea but I’m a little confused as to what you used to make the texture? I would really love another bowl, especially one as beautiful as this but I can’t get the texture right.
When the egg cartons are pulped and dry they have the feathery rough texture naturally Melloyello. Nothing is added xx