The first thing I did was to cut out a piece from the front of the box, like so:
Then, I cut some pieces of gum-strip sealing tape (which I usually use to stretch paper) and went round all the edges, smoothing the surface:
This makes the papier maché easier to apply.
Then I mixed up my glue. In a washing-up bowl (an old one, mind - I'm not going to use it for the dishes later!) I poured enough hot water to fill it to just under half. Then I added about a cup of powdered wallpaper paste (I've had half a packet hanging around for about four years, so I was glad of something to do with it!) And about the same amount of PVA glue. I mixed it all thoroughly and tore off a number of strips of newspaper.
Newspaper an tissue paper make the best papier maché because the paper breaks down quickly in water, but I do use other papers too.
Carefully, I then covered the entire box in soaked strips of newspaper, taking care to keep the hoes for stacking and lifting open.
It took quite a while, but I didn't want to rush it. It's important to get a nice smooth finish, so it is best to take the time over it.
Eventually, I had a fully covered box.
When wet, it was quite wobbly and fragile, so I put it safely in the corner of the studio to dry.
Then I did the other one:
That was yesterday. Today, they were both almost dry, so I applied another layer.
When they are dry, hopefully tomorrow, I will be able to add one more layer and then finish them off.
To make the two boxes nice and strong, I am aiming for about 6 layers of newspaper. Each application gives me two layers of paper, with each strip overlapping. As I intend to keep things in the boxes and stack them on top of one another (and I'm hoping for more boxes in the future) I don't want them falling apart or warping under the weight, so all this work is worth it. They should last for ages when they're done.
Tonight thy look like this:
Watch this space.
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