Papier mache

Papier mache is a technique for making sculpture from paper. Strips of paper are soaked in a thick liquid, usually liquid starch or flour paste, and applied to an underlying form. The paper dries and forms a cast around the form which may then be painted or otherwise decorated. The name papier mache is French for "chewed paper."

Papier mache materials are inexpensive: paper is ubiquitous, and the paste can be made or acquired very cheaply. Recycled paper bags and clothing starch work very well, and forms can be constructed using tape, glue, scissors, and discarded packaging.

Because of its accessibility, papier mache is often used as an indroduction to sculpture for children, although many pieces of fine art have also been made from papier mache.