How to Make an Animal Out of Papier-Mache

Animal shapes are easy to recreate with papier mache.

Papier mache has a wide variety of uses. Papier mache animals are a project that can fit many different themes and topics. Making papier mache animals is not difficult, and with a few basic design tweaks you can make nearly any animal imaginable to fit a variety of topics and themes. You can also modify the instructions to make insects, reptiles or birds.

Things You'll Need

• 12-inch balloons
• Paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• White glue
• Newspaper
• Paint or tissue paper
• Yarn
• Google eyes

Instructions

1. Blow up a 12-inch balloon to use as the animal body. You can use just one balloon for a small animal, or use two balloons for a larger animal. Cut the paper towel rolls into four equal sections for legs.

2. Blow up a balloon about halfway to use as a head. Tape the legs to the body and the body to the head. Use a short segment of paper towel roll as a neck, or a longer segment for a giraffe or other long-necked animal.

3. Tear the newspaper into 2-inch-thick strips. Mix the glue with water using two parts water and one part glue. Cover the entire body base with three rows of newspaper strips. Allow the newspaper to dry overnight.

4. Paint the animal with paint, or cover the animal in small tissue paper squares. Use glue to hold the tissue paper in place. Decorate the animal with eyes, a mouth and nose. Glue yarn or paper strips to the animal for a tail, mane or other details matching the animal of your choice.

Tips & Warnings

• You can easily transform a papier mache animal into a pinata. Cut a slit in the top of the animal and fill the body with candy. Tie a string around the body and hang the pinata from a tree branch.

References

• School Tube: Make Paper Mache Animals
• First Palette: Papier Mache Bunny