How to Make a Papier Mache Room Divider

Create a decorative room divider using basic craft materials.

When you are trying to decorate a small space, you may feel frustrated by how cluttered and cramped your rooms feel. Instead of moving into a larger home, reorganize your existing home by using room dividers. Room dividers can transform a space by sectioning off areas of the room into individual living spaces. You can even create your own decorative room dividers using basic materials, such as papier mache, which can be purchased inexpensively from any craft store.

Things You'll Need

• Hot glue gun
• 6 balsa wood pieces, 2 inches wide, 5 feet long
• 6 balsa wood pieces, 2 inches wide, 2 feet long
• Bucket
• Flour
• Salt
• Long-handled spoon
• Cotton muslin fabric
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint, colored
• Paintbrush
• Acrylic glaze, clear
• 4 small brass hinges with tacks
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Push a hot glue stick into the back of a hot glue gun. Plug in the hot glue gun to heat up for 10 minutes.

2. Lay two 5-foot-long pieces of balsa wood vertically, side by side, and place a 2-foot-long piece of balsa wood horizontally onto the top and bottom of the form. Line up the corners to create a closed rectangle.

3. Squeeze a line of hot glue along the tops of the vertical pieces of balsa wood and press the top horizontal piece against the hot glue-covered pieces. Allow the hot glue to cool for two minutes. Repeat to hot glue the bottom horizontal piece onto the bottom of the vertical pieces.

4. Repeat this process to hot glue together two more balsa wood rectangles. Set the rectangles aside.

5. Pour 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt and 4 cups of water into a bucket. Stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon for two minutes to combine the ingredients completely into a papier mache mixture.

6. Cut cotton muslin into long strips using scissors to measure 3 inches wide and 6 feet long. Dip the strips into the papier mache mixture, one at a time, then drape them over the rectangular forms. Cover each form, front and back, with four layers of strips. Allow the forms to air-dry for 12 hours.

7. Paint the outside of the papier mache forms using colorful acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes, then paint a layer of clear acrylic glaze over all of the surfaces of the rectangular forms. Allow the glaze to dry for an additional 30 minutes.

8. Line up the rectangles vertically next to each other. Tack two small brass hinges along each of the seams using a small hammer. This will allow the papier mache screen to open and to be adjusted as you prefer.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep sharp scissors away from children.

References

• Papier Mache Resource: Wendy's Way
• Kids Crafts Creations: Paper Mache Cat