How to Make Handmade Fruit Christmas Tree Ornaments With Paper Mache
Paper mache is a crafting method that involves binding paper together with a simple paste, often just a mixture of flour and water. Use newspaper and paper mache paste to build fruit shapes and paint them to become colorful Christmas tree ornaments. Follow a fruit theme for the entire tree, or combine traditional Christmas ornaments with winter fruits, such as pomegranates, persimmons and pears. Handmade Christmas tree ornaments are also a thoughtful gift for the holidays.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Newspaper
- Masking tape
- Cardboard
- Chicken wire
- Balloons
- String or fishing line
- Flour
- Water
- Acrylic primer
- Poster paint
- Paintbrushes
Instructions
-
-
1
Build forms, known as armatures, shaped like fruit. Crumpled up newspaper can be squeezed into apple, pear, pomegranate, orange, banana or other fruit shapes. Use masking tape to hold the newspaper in place. Experiment with other materials, such as inflated balloons, cardboard and chicken wire to make your fruit armatures.
-
2
Tape a loop of string or fishing line to the top of each armature to hang your ornaments by. Keep this loop exposed as you paper mache your project.
-
-
3
Mix equal parts flour and water to make paper mache paste. Adjust the amount of water to form a paste with the consistency of pancake batter. It should be thinner than glue but thick enough to coat the newspaper strips you'll be using to cover the fruit armatures.
-
4
Tear strips of newspaper about 1 inch wide. Hold several sheets of newspaper together and tear them all at once to save time.
-
5
Dip a strip of newspaper into the paper mache paste and run it between your thumb and index finger to remove excess paste. The newspaper should be wet with a thin layer of paste all over it. Wrap the strip around a fruit form, tearing the strip into shorter pieces if needed.
-
6
Continue dipping strips of newspaper into the paper mache paste and smoothing them onto the fruit armature until you have built up two layers of newspaper. If your armature is weak or temporary, a balloon for example, build up four layers. Use your hands to smooth out the strips neatly as you go.
-
7
Let the paper mache fruit dry overnight or until the paper is completely dry. Set your projects in front of a fan to speed up the process.
-
8
Paint the fruit with an acrylic primer and let it dry. The primer helps the poster paint stick to the paper mache surface.
-
9
Paint the fruit with poster paint. For the most realistic look, blend multiple colors or shades to resemble real fruit. Allow the paint to dry.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Put unused paper mache paste in a covered container in the refrigerator to use it again later.
