A papier-mâché horse sculpture is a great DIY gift. Observing a simple execution technique, you can create real masterpieces from the available materials.
Necessary materials
For work, you will need paper in large quantities (any paper is suitable: toilet, newspaper, cigarette, office, but it is desirable that it is soaked well); scissors; wire and pliers (for making a horse frame); container for glue; glue (it is recommended to use natural: PVA or paste so that the manufactured product does not turn out to be toxic, the required amount of glue depends on the size of the future figurine); brushes; paints (it is better to take acrylics, since the products covered with them are more durable, but if they are not available, ordinary gouache is also suitable); matt waterproof varnish.
Papier-mâché horse: step by step
First you need to make a frame. To do this, twist a shape reminiscent of the number "2" from the wire - this will be the head, neck and body of the horse. Screw five more straight wires to the resulting base: for the legs and tail. You can also make the base of the figurine out of plasticine, but the wire frame craft will be more durable.
Next, dissolve the glue in a container with water. Cut the paper into long strips, soak it in the glue solution and crumple it up. Thus, a plastic material is obtained that is excellent for sculpting. They need to stick around the wire frame, forming a horse figurine.
To make the product smoother and stronger, you should process it in several layers with PVA glue. Now you need to dry the horse: you should be patient, because this can take several days.
After complete drying, you can start painting and decorating the resulting craft. First, it is worth applying a layer of paint in the base color. And when it dries out, draw a nose and eyes (there is also an option to make eyes by gluing beads). After that, walk along the mane and tail with a contrasting color: you can paint them with "gold" or "silver", use rhinestones and sequins to decorate, and then the horse will look much more impressive.
And finally, the final stage: all that remains is to cover the figurine with a layer of waterproof varnish and dry it.
As a result of the work, the figurine is light and strong enough. Horses made of papier-mâché can be used not only as souvenirs, but also become toys for children. In addition, they are absolutely safe, which is far from always possible to say about today's toys made in an industrial environment.
