Paper Mache pumpkin lantern craft-This is a fun craft to make but it can be messy. You can either put the finished pumpkin on a table or hang it from the ceiling from fishing line to make a scary Halloween decoration.
What you will need:
- A round balloon
- Newspaper
- Flour and water
- A pan and a stirrer
- Scissors
- Either orange tempera paint or orange tissue paper
- Paint brush
- A black marker
Instructions for the project:
The first step is to make the Paper Mache glue. You will want to make a simple, thin glue from flour and water. You can do this by mixing 1/2 cup of flour into 1/2 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir this mixture into 2 cups of boiling water (the heating gives the glue a nice consistency, but is not necessary). Simmer for about 3 minutes and then cool completely.
Tear a lot of newspaper into thin strips. The strips should be about 1 inch wide; but the length does not really matter. Blow up and tie a long balloon for each child. You may want to place the long balloon in a container (like a bowl) so that it is stable. It can also be helpful to cover your work space with newspaper to aid in the clean-up later. Carefully dip a strip of paper in the flour glue, wipe off the excess, and wrap the strip around the balloon. Continue doing this to cover the entire top of the balloon. You will want to have at least three layers surrounding the balloon.
You should let it dry (at least overnight) after each layer. After all of the layers are on you will need to let the Paper-Mache balloon dry completely (it may take a few days). After it is completely dry pop the balloon and separate it from the outer Paper-Mache skin. You can throw the torn balloon away. To make the pumpkin sit flat on a surface, place a slightly damp cloth or sponge on the part that will be the bottom until it softens slightly (this may take a few hours). When it is a little soft, push the bottom in, making an indentation. This will allow your pumpkin to sit flat on a table.
If you like you can also cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin (this lets you put candy in it). You can then either paint the entire pumpkin orange or apply another layer of Paper-Mache using orange tissue paper scraps. Let it dry completely and then either draw eyes, nose and mouth using black paint or a black marker, or cut them out with a craft knife.