Streamer Paper Mache

by Sara For his fifth birthday the firefighter chose rainbow coloured streamers to decorate our house.  After all the celebrations were over I rolled the streamers back up for our art and craft project.

We used one of the balloons left over from his birthday party to create paper mache out of the rainbow streamers.  While the firefighter taped his balloon into a plastic cup (so it wouldn't roll around the table), I cut the paper streamers into 3-4 inch long strips

There are endless choices when it comes to making paper mache 'goop'.  I decided to mix equal parts hot water with flour and a few tablespoons of salt (apparently it inhibits mold growth).  The mixture was quite thick so I added another 1/2 cup of hot water and then stirred it with my whisk.

In hindsight the pieces of streamer probably would have been easier to work with if they were smaller (maybe 2 inch squares) 

The firefighter loved trying to cover up all the blue space on the balloon but we quickly discovered that streamer paper is too delicate for dipping in the 'goop' and needs to be applied with a paint brush. 

We worked our way through two rolls of streamers before deciding that the blue balloon was well and truly hidden. 

He's quite proud of his masterpiece and will now get to keep a little bit of his birthday in his bedroom all year long!

Sara is a photographer and mom to a 5-year-old ” firefighter” and 2.5-year-old “monkey”.  You can also find her at her blog, My Points of View.