Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché is one of the oldest forms for creating puppets and so a lot of people think that there must be something better out there. Actually, there are very few contenders. Done well, papier-mâché is light, strong, fast, and non-toxic. I know, we've all had the experience of the lumpy paste, and corners that stick up and a thing that requires years of sanding to even resemble smooth. It doesn't have to be that way. Arlequino has three layers and was dropped off the second floor. No damage.
Materials- The first thing to do is make sure you're working with that right stuff.
Wheat-based wallpaper paste. Why wheat? It has glucose in it, which binds with the cellulose in paper making a much stiffer and stronger wall, so you need fewer layers.
Brown paper bags & other paper. The important thing here is that you don't use newspaper. The fibers are short and it has no structural integrity of its on. Mostly it's used as a counting layer. You do need paper that's two different colors so you can tell what areas you've papier-mâché and what you haven't. I use either leftover printer paper (recycling) or scrap pages out of my sketchpad. As long as it's not the same color as the bags, a similar weight, and it is uncoated it will work.
Tissue paper Yes I do mean Kleenex or toilet paper. We will use this to separate the paper from the form. Regardless of whether you are doing direct papier-mâché or working into a mold you don't want it to stick when it's dry.
Plaster mold (optional) If you know how to make a plaster mold it is easier and faster to work into a negative than to papier-mâché directly on the form.
Technique
Mix your wallpaper paste in a shallow container like a pie-plate (anything will work this is easiest). Make a small batch. (Trust me, you will appreciate having to stop and wash your hands to make more.) Cover the bottom of the pan with cool water. Shake a SMALL amount of the paste onto the water. Add more if you need to for the right consistency. I use the Zen method of mixing till it feels right, which for me is like cream of wheat or a melted milkshake.
Tear the paper into 6" pieces (approximately). Don't cut it. You want a soft edge on the paper so it will adhere better and more smoothly to the other pieces.
Place the dry tissue paper in the mold (or on your form). After it is covered with a single layer, sprinkle it with water.
Pick up a piece of brown paper bag and touch the bottom of it to the wallpaper paste so that when you pick it up it's got maybe two inches covered with paste. (The biggest mistake folks make is to use too much paste). Smear it on both sides of the paper and crumple the piece. We're trying to break up the fibers in the paper and work the paste into it. All techniques do this it's just faster to do it with a large piece than lots of small pieces.
Tear off a piece and place it in the mold or on the form. In a mold this is the layer that will be seen so it's the only one that has to be neat. (On a form the last layer is the visible one so all layers have to be neat. You'll just repeat all steps except six). Make sure that the piece is small enough that it doesn't form wrinkles. Start in the center and work out. Overlap the pieces, pressing to remove airbubbles. When you get to the edge of the mold or form, go outside by at least an inch. You'll need this to grab hold of when it's time to take the papier-mâché out.
MOLDS ONLY. After the whole layer is covered in brown. Get another piece of the bag, wet it in paste, and crumple it as before. Wad it up and shove it tightly into the detail areas. For instance, if you've got a nose, push it as far into the nose and nostrils as you can. What will happen is that the detailed areas will suddenly have ten layers of mâché and the surface is smoother so your next layer will go faster.
Repeat steps 4-6 with the other paper, when it's covered go back to the brown bag. Do this until you have between three to five layers. IMPORTANT do it while the layers are wet. They adhere better and you will have fewer airbubbles.
Let it dry. Put it the sun. Be patient, you can put it in front of a space heater or bake it (250 degrees) but you risk airbubbles. I have to admit that in the winter I usually force it dry, because I'm not patient.
It will reach a stage we call leathery. It’s still flexible, but it's dry, like leather. This is the best time to pull it out. Be careful, if it's too early and you see wrinkles happening, don't do it. It's better to wait until its completely dry.
Peel off what tissue paper you can and the rest smooth down with the paste.
If you trim edges wrap them in papier-mâché to keep them from peeling up.