Paper Mache Fish

Recommended Age Group: 3 years +

Materials Required:

• White Glue
• Medium sized bowl
• Lukewarm Water (1 cup)
• Balloon
• Newspaper
• Tissue Paper
• Needle
• Poster Paints
• Paint brushes
• Scissors

Instructions:

Spread newspaper over your work surface before proceeding. Paper mache is fun, but very messy.

To create the paper mache paste, pour the lukewarm water into the bowl. Add a good measure of the while school glue. The ideal mix is a cloudy white about the consistency of thin cough syrup.

Set the paste mixture aside and blow up your balloon. The balloon should be a medium size. It will create the body of the fish, so its size will determine the overall size of the project.

Tear the remaining newspaper into thin strips. Carefully dip each one into the glue mixture and lay it on the balloon. Repeat this procedure until the balloon is completely covered in the strips. Be sure you have full coverage, but avoid making the layer of newspaper strips too thick. A thick layer of strips will take a long time to dry.

Once the balloon is covered, leave it to dry, possibly overnight. When the strips are dried, they should be hard. Use the needle to pop the balloon inside the paper mache. What you have left is the body of your fish.

Use the poster paints and paint brushes to paint the body of the fish. Be sure to include eyes, gills and scales. Leave the fish alone long enough to allow the paint to dry.

When the paint is dry, cut out fins and a tail from the tissue paper. Use the white glue to affix the tail and fins to the fish’s body. When the glue is dried, your paper mache fish will be complete!