Best (foodsafe) paper mache paste recipe? And other advice.

I need the help of real humans as I've never made paper mache as an adult and don't remember the recipe.  But I'm confident it didn't include glues and the teacher had said when joe started munching on the paste, not to worry, it's food safe.

What's your go to recipe for paper mache paste?
Any other suggestions for working with this medium?

Either that or a search engine that can filter out ai slop.  Because an hour on google and ducky gave me nothing but cookies, adverts that broke my browser,  and information that surely must be wrong. 50% white glue is probably not as  food safe and non toxic as I would like

Also, is there any reason not to add clove essential oil to the mix?  It prevents mould and pests.  But it is an oil, and maybe won't mix?

I want this silly thing to out last me.

You should be able to use wheat paste.

Here is a video about using wheat paste to glue cardboard together to make furniture and more (I have it start where he talks about making the wheat paste).

Jeff Bosch wrote:You should be able to use wheat paste.

Here is a video about using wheat paste to glue cardboard together to make furniture and more (I have it start where he talks about making the wheat paste).

https://youtu.be/45JhacvmXV8?t=181

That's fantastic, thank you.

I like that he used clove oil so that answers my question.

During the 1800s, a lot of furniture was made from paper mache and I bet they would have used cardboard too if i had been more common.  They were only designed to last 40ish years, but I've seen a few in museums and homes and they are stll amazing.

Wheat paste as he calls it looks the same recipe we use in weaving to strengthen fragile yarn (sizing).  It's incredibly strong but washes out moderately easily.  

For some reason, I don't remember paper mache paste being cooked... but it was a long time ago.

The cooking develops the gluten, making it stronger and makes it stick together better.

Does the type of paper make a difference?

I was going to use news paper because that's what we used in elementary school.  But the look of a paper bag is nicer.  Then again, it's going to be painted...

Cutting or tearing make any difference?  

r ransom wrote: Cutting or tearing make any difference?  

Tearing does 2 things - paper usually tears better in one direction than the other, so the strips might be stronger than if "cut against the grain".

Second, the edges are feathered and wavy, so multiple layers won't have such obvious edges.

I'm not sure whether paper bags tear as well or easily as newspaper. Some paper bags are thicker than others.

Good answers here already!
I'll just chime in to reinforce things that have been said already from the perspective of a (former) handbookbinder;
- cooking the wheat paste makes it sticky
- clove oil makes the paste and the pasted work unpleasant for bugs that might otherwise think your paper mache is a meal. It also preserves the paste a bit longer against mold (it keeps longest when kept in the fridge, but somehow looses stickiness the longer it's preserved).
- tearing strips along the direction of the grain would be best practice for long, strong strips. Tearing is better than cutting, for smoother joint lines, but also for strength; any interlocking fibers are added strength, and with cut strips you don't have those fibers.
Happy experimenting!

From my "pre-permies", and at least 20 years ago because my 32 y.o. son was in elementary school, so I have no idea what glue I would have used.



It was formed on a water balloon and where the knot was, I did little cuts so that it would fit over a tiny flashlight I had at the time.

Granted this has lived in a container for most of the year, but it does come out many Halloween nights if I'm going out to celebrate.

I am hoping R Ransom will post pictures of what she creates, as I am getting curiouser and curioser!

The idea of building larger objects out of layers of carboard boxes is intriguing. When the kids were little we made a cardboard dome which we bolted together so it could be taken apart and my son loved to assemble it every Christmas for years. It took up too much space to leave assembled and it was only a single layer so it eventually deteriorated, but the same or similar out of cardboard could have uses.

Thank you everyone.

I will share photos but I'm still gathering together materials.  The biggest challenge so far is finding a balloon big enough.  I thought I found one but it popped.

r ransom wrote:  The biggest challenge so far is finding a balloon big enough.  

Will the balloon have to stay inside? If not, have you considered an exercise ball? The ball should peel off ok if you let a bunch of the air out of it.

Jay Angler wrote:

r ransom wrote:  The biggest challenge so far is finding a balloon big enough.  

Will the balloon have to stay inside? If not, have you considered an exercise ball? The ball should peel off ok if you let a bunch of the air out of it.

I was thinking to do two or three layers around the balloon to make a shell. Let it dry.  Remove balloon, then fit the shell to the object (might need some cutting and jiggery-pokery).  Then doing several more layers on top until it's strong enough.  Some sort of sealant then paint on the outside.  Inside, I think I'll just use a clear sealant.  

I don't know if this will work.