How to Make a 3 Dimensional Football From Cardboard
You can cut down on your household waste by using your recyclables for craft projects. Cardboard and paper are plentiful and versatile materials, well-suited for crafting light-weight three-dimensional objects. Practice working with papier mache pulp and large forms by sculpting a familiar object, such as a football. If you seal the finished sculpture, you can use it as a paper weight or as part of a case display.
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Things You'll Need
- Corrugated cardboard
- Scissors
- Bowl
- Water
- Glue
- Plastic wrap
- Newspaper
- Meat tenderizer
- Paint
- Paint brush
Instructions
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1
Cut the cardboard into 1-inch pieces. Put the pieces into a large bowl.
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2
Pour 1 cup water and 1 cup glue into the bowl.
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3
Mix the cardboard with the water and glue by hand.
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4
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight.
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5
Cut two football-shaped pieces of cardboard and place them on top of a sheet of plastic wrap or newspaper.
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6
Use your hands and the meat tenderizer to turn the saturated cardboard into a thick pulp. Add more glue if necessary.
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7
Pile a mound of cardboard pulp on top of each football-shaped cutout so that each looks like half of a football.
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8
Dry the mounds in a well-ventilated area for three to seven days.
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9
Spread glue on the back of each half and then press them together to form a three-dimensional football.
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10
Apply a thin layer of cardboard pulp to the surface of the ball. Pat it down so that it hides the seam.
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11
Tap the wet cardboard pulp with the meat tenderizer to add texture.
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12
Dry for one week in a well-ventilated area.
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13
Paint the ball brown and add white details to mimic the stitch pattern of a real ball.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you want the cardboard to have a smoother surface, apply a thin layer of papier mache.
Instead of placing the ball of a flat surface to dry, stash it in a colander. The mesh will improve air circulation and the bowl-shape won't leave an indention.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
