How to Make a Parchment Bowl

Parchment paper is often used in lampshades, as a writing surface and in baking.

Crafting a handmade bowl is a unique way to create a personalized object for your home ideal for accentuating a table setting, hold odds and ends, or display favorite objects. Many different types of paper can be used to create a bowl, including recycled newspaper, construction paper, book pages, magazine covers and wrapping paper. Parchment paper, a type of stiff translucent paper treated to resemble parchment, is excellent for creating a bowl with a natural color and subtle texture.

Things You'll Need

• Molding bowl
• Petroleum jelly
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• Saucepan
• Parchment paper torn into strips
• Spatula or small knife
• Paint and paintbrush (optional)

Instructions

1. Grease the inside of the bowl you'll be using as your mold with petroleum jelly. Plastic bowls work best as they don't absorb the petroleum jelly and easily release the parchment bowl after it's been constructed and dried. Set the bowl aside.

2. Combine one cup water and one cup flour in a saucepan to create the paste. Over medium to medium-high heat, stir the mixture until smooth. Continue stirring the paste until it boils. Remove the mixture from the heat, then place it in a container to cool.

3. Cover the inside of your mold bowl with strips of parchment paper. Brush lightly with paste. Continue adding paper and paste layers until you have six to eight layers.

4. Dry the bowl overnight until it hardens. Trim any uneven paper ends around the bowl rim.

5. Use a small spatula or butter knife to loosen the parchment bowl from the mold, then carefully slide the paper bowl out. Gently round out the parchment bowl if it becomes misshapen during removal.

6. Decorate your bowl with a paint color that coordinates with your kitchen or home, or leave it unpainted for a natural look.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use mineral oil, vegetable oil, shortening, butter or nonpetroleum jelly (available in health food stores) instead of petroleum jelly to grease your mold bowl.

• For a decorative bowl that doesn't require painting, use brightly colored papers for the first layer of your parchment bowl. When completed, the bowl will have a decorative look on the outside and a neutral, parchment texture on the inside.

• Parchment bowls are for display purposes and should not be used for holding food or liquid.

• Use a soft, dry cloth or paper towel to clean your parchment bowl. Do not submerge your bowl in water to clean or place it in a dishwasher, as this will cause the bowl to disintegrate.

References

• Green World: Recycled Crafts: Make a Paper Bowl Tutorial
• The Crafty Crow: How to Make a Paper Bowl