How to Make a Giant Paper Mache Globe

Use a commercial globe as reference when painting the papier-mache's surface.

The size of papier-mache globes depends on the sphere you use as the base. A small balloon gives you a little globe, while a beach ball creates a giant globe. Papier-mache requires a fluid, strong adhesive. PVA glue, also known as white or school glue, is the best option. Students can use the giant globe as the main exhibit of a geography project, while teachers introduce features of the Earth to students, using the detailed depictions on the globe’s large surface.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• PVA glue
• Bowl
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Latex gloves
• Brush
• Tempera paints

Instructions

1. Fill a 2-cup bowl with 1/4 cup, or 12 teaspoons, of water and 3/4 cup, or 36 teaspoons, of PVA glue. Mix the two ingredients together for 30 seconds.

2. Cut a whole newspaper issue into paper strips measuring 1 inch in width and 5 inches in length. You don't have to be precise with the strips' dimensions.

3. Wear latex gloves if you don't want your hands covered with the adhesive. Grab the tip of one strip at a time, submerge it in the bowl and then lay it on the beach ball's surface.

4. Stroking the strip on the ball gently with a brush ensures it lays smoothly and has no creases. Don't stroke it too hard, or you remove part of the adhesive.

5. Cover the whole beach ball with one layer of strips and allow it to dry overnight. On the next day, cover the ball with a second layer of strips. Allow it to dry overnight, and then add a third layer afterwards.

6. Add an additional two layers, to create a five-layer papier-mache globe. You usually need just three layers for papier-mache spheres, but because of the size of this craft, you need an extra-strong shell.

7. Paint the globe using tempera paints. Use a commercial globe as reference when you are painting the Earth's surface.

Resources

• DLTK's Crafts for Kids: How to Paper Mache