Making Paper Mache Statues?

How large is large to you?

My Grandmother in the 1060's made a whole nativity scene that was about a foot high. I'm pretty sure she started with sturdy wire stick-figure like people. Added smashed Styrofoam to be the head, then draped them in cotton outfits that were soaked in 1/2 white glue and water. The hands were rolled paper towel and glue made finger by finger then glued on. Glue soaked yarn hair can be added.

The figures were then painted with acrylic paint. Then decorated further with bits of metal, etc. I think if you added real sturdy wood bases and frames to this you could make bigger ones. They will not be water proof! Do not under-estimate how messy and time consuming this is.

I've built puppets for the theater in a similar fashion, and there were only small pathways thru my kitchen for months. Good luck!

Londa

This sounds so much like it. Thank you for answering.

Are you going to try to make some? I'd love to see what you make! My grandmother loved the ones she made so much, she kept them on display all year long, and then took them to the nursing home with her. They were at her bedside.

They are now in my attic, rather beat up, and no longer after all this time good for display. I remember my mother-in-law also had photos of an angel somebody else had made. So I figure this was a project in a craft publication at the time.

Londa, NY

I am I just have allot on my plate right now. I own a store and we are moving it so I'll have to put this project on hold for now. Hopefully by xmas I will have 2 little elves made as I want to put them on our atvs in the xmas parade here. I will take pics and post them when I do it. Again thank you so much for the info. Sometimes we just need a little boost to get us moving ya know.