There are occasions in our designs when we would like a perfectly spherical base on which to place/glue plant material but a foam sphere is not appropriate, perhaps because of its size, weight (when soaked in water) or some other technical placement issue.
In this step by step technique, I am sharing my method for covering plastic balls, the kind you might find in a ball pit for children, with paper mache. These can be left with the ball inside or cut in half so the ball can be removed.
You will need:
Plastic balls – I got these from a charity store, a big bag in the children’s toy section for around $2.
Paper masking tape
1 ply paper napkins ripped/cut into strips
Paper glue – PVA and water mix.
- Cover the balls with the masking tape
- Dip the napkin strip into the glue slurry and place on covered balls.
- Keep repeating the last step until you have the desired coverage/texture required for your design.
- Allow to dry completely. Here I have place the balls in glasses so I can rotate them whilst drying for an even finish.
- These can now be covered with other paper material or plant material for your design.
Here is a large design that uses this technique for balls covered with cork strips and printed material related to the design. I have been able to insert a swivel to hang these without worrying about the weight.
