mollymoo

My Posh Hens – new papier mache craft

It always happens, I start a new post and go blank, hands poised over the keyboard, waiting…… what word to start with? how should that word lead to the next ? {pause} and so I begin not knowing if I will return and completely rewrite :)

Introducing my new Papier Mache Craft Design, a slim and poised Posh Hen, with ideas far beyond the coop – look she’s even wearing a crown!!.
Made of two pieces of mounting board and a coat hanger, yes a coat hanger!!, she is an accessible hen for crafty and non-crafty ladies alike.

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Materials you will need to make a papier mache hen:
one sheet of mounting board, stapler, paper tape (or masking tape), newspaper, coat hanger, paint and a pliers.

You will need two hen sides cut from a sheet of mounting board. The pattern can be accessed here

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Staple the two sides together, once or twice at each side
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Tear some newspaper into strips and stuff in between the sides, from the top, just enough to give the hen a slight belly swell – to give her a bit of a 3D profile. (excuse the bands on my wrists – I had been wearing a wrist support strap and removed for the photo!!)

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Now staple up both sides, leaving the curve of the back open.

With a pliers bend one end of the coat hanger over and back until it breaks, and you are left with an ‘n’ shape, and insert into the legs.

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Use the paper tape to seal up all edges and cover over the staples

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Now the ‘little bit’ messy part – apply one or two layers of papier mache, just one layer worked fine for me as the mounting board is so rigid – the reason for papier mache is to give you a smooth single texture/finish surface to paint on and it also streamlines the structure.

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Finally it’s time to play with paint and use your hen as a blank canvas.
If only I could paint I would recreate one of masters on the sides of the hens – just imagine… a pop art hen, a Seurat hen, or the rolling landscape in David Hockney’s “Garrowby Hill”. I’m gonna need to make more hens….. and buy the book “painting for dummies”? tee hee :)

but in the meantime I’ll stick to my signature polka dots and stripes…..

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