How Do You Make a Colored Pencil Ring?

Match the color of your napkin rings to your dishes.

Making a colored pencil paper mache ring is a creative way to decorate for any dinner party. Napkin rings are a prime candidate for the paper mache craft. Involve children or beginning art students in the activity as an introduction to visual art, dining decorum and the value of recycling household products. Money and time savings are also guaranteed when you decide to make your own napkin rings as opposed to committing to an outright purchase.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber band
• Cardboard paper towel roll
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• Pot
• Small bowl
• 1 by 3 inch newspaper strips (multiple)
• 1 by 3 inch paper towel strips (multiple)
• Color pencils

Instructions

1. Slide a rubber band 1 1/2 inches over the end of an empty cardboard paper towel roll. Mark a line on one side of the rubber band with a pencil. Move the rubber band down an additional 1 1/2 inches. Make another line along the rubber band. Continue this process through the entire paper towel roll to make your cutting lines. A standard paper towel roll provides seven 1 1/2 inch rings.

2. Cut the paper towel roll into pieces with scissors along the marked lines.

3. Boil 1 cup water and 1 cup flour in a pot for three minutes. Allow five minutes for the mix to cool. Pour the mix into a small bowl.

4. Soak a 1 by 3 inch newspaper strip in the mix. Apply the strip onto the body of each napkin ring. Continue the process until all rings are covered in one layer of newspaper.

5. Soak a 1 by 3 inch paper towel strip into the mix, as in Step 4. Apply the strip on to the body of each napkin ring, over the newspaper strips. Continue until all rings are covered in one layer of paper towel. Allow two hours for the rings to dry.

6. Color each ring with color pencils in any design or style you wish. Store your napkin rings in a drawer or cabinet for safe keeping.

Tips & Warnings

• A standard paper towel roll is approximately 11 inches long.

References

• DLTK Kids: How to Paper Mache
• Green Sense; Handmade Papier-Mâché Napkin Rings; Alan Wagener; 2000