Got a stack of old newspapers piling up? Don’t just toss them in the recycling bin just yet! Those broadsheets and tabloids are bursting with creative potential, waiting to be transformed into something new and exciting by little hands. Newspaper craft projects are a fantastic way to spend quality time with kids, offering an inexpensive, eco-friendly, and wonderfully imaginative outlet. Forget fancy, expensive craft kits; sometimes the best fun comes from the simplest materials. Today, we’re diving into two classic, super-fun newspaper crafts: weaving sturdy, stylish hats and getting wonderfully messy with versatile papier mâché.
Why choose newspaper for crafting? The benefits are numerous! Firstly, it’s incredibly accessible and affordable – you likely have the main material already sitting in your home. Working with paper, whether cutting, tearing, folding, or gluing, is brilliant for developing children’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It encourages problem-solving as kids figure out how to make the paper do what they want. Plus, it’s a powerful, hands-on way to teach the importance of recycling and reusing materials, showing kids that ‘waste’ can become something wonderful. It’s a screen-free activity that promotes creativity and resourcefulness – a true win-win!
Weaving Wonders: Crafting Newspaper Hats
Imagine the pride on your child’s face wearing a hat they wove themselves entirely from newspaper! It sounds complex, but basic weaving techniques are surprisingly easy for children to grasp, and the results look impressively intricate. These hats are perfect for dress-up, pretend play, or just looking uniquely stylish (though maybe avoid wearing them in the rain!).
What You’ll Need:
- Old Newspapers (lots of them!)
- Scissors (kid-safe ones for them, sharper ones for adult help if needed)
- A Ruler
- Glue stick, white school glue (PVA), or clear tape
- Optional: Paint, markers, yarn, or other decorations
Let’s Get Weaving: Step-by-Step Hat Making
1. Prepare Your Strips: This is the foundation. Open up your newspaper sheets fully. Decide on the width of your strips – around 1.5 to 2 inches (4-5 cm) usually works well. Wider strips are quicker to weave but less detailed; narrower strips take longer but create a tighter weave. Using a ruler and pencil, mark out lines across the longest dimension of the paper. Carefully cut along the lines to create a good pile of long newspaper strips. For added strength, you can fold each strip in half lengthwise and crease it firmly.
2. Create the Hat Base (The Crown): Take about 8-10 strips. Lay half of them down vertically, parallel to each other, leaving small gaps in between (maybe half an inch). Now, take the other half of the strips and weave them horizontally through the vertical ones using a simple ‘over-under’ pattern. So, the first horizontal strip goes over the first vertical, under the second, over the third, and so on. The second horizontal strip starts the opposite way: under the first vertical, over the second, under the third, etc. Gently push the strips together to form a square or rectangular woven mat in the centre. This will be the very top of the hat.
3. Secure the Base: Once you have a woven square roughly the size you want the top of the hat to be, secure the intersections. You can use small dabs of glue where the strips overlap or carefully place small pieces of clear tape.
4. Weave Upwards (The Sides): This is where the hat takes shape. Carefully fold all the strips extending from your base mat upwards. These are now your ‘stakes’ or vertical weavers. Take a new long strip (your ‘weaver’) and start weaving it around the base, going over one stake, under the next, over, under, all the way around. When you get back to the start, continue the pattern on the next level up. When one weaver strip runs out, simply glue or tape the end to one of the stakes (preferably on the inside) and start a new strip, overlapping slightly.
5. Shape as You Go: Keep weaving upwards, round and round. Gently shape the hat as you go. You can keep the sides straight for a bucket hat style, or let it flare out slightly. Pull the weavers fairly snug, but not so tight that it buckles the stakes. Continue until the hat reaches the desired depth.
6. Finishing the Edge: Once the hat is tall enough, you need to finish the top edge neatly. Take each vertical stake, fold it over the last row of weaving (either to the inside or outside), trim any excess length, and glue or tape it down securely. Do this for all the stakes.
7. Optional Brim: Want a brim? You can create one by folding the stakes outwards instead of straight up at the base stage, and then weaving around them horizontally. Alternatively, cut a donut shape from cardboard or several layers of newspaper glued together, and attach it to the finished base of the hat.
8. Decorate! Once the glue is dry, let the kids loose with paints, markers, glitter glue, yarn, or fabric scraps to personalize their woven newspaper hat creation!
Papier Mâché Magic: Sculpting with Paper
Papier mâché is the art of glorious, gooey layering! It involves using paper strips dipped in an adhesive paste to cover a mold, building up layers that dry into a hard, lightweight shell. It’s incredibly versatile, allowing kids to create everything from masks and bowls to piggy banks, animal sculptures, and even models of planets. Prepare for a bit of mess, but embrace it – it’s part of the fun!
What You’ll Need:
- Old Newspapers (torn into strips, not cut – torn edges blend better)
- Papier Mâché Paste (see below)
- A Mold: Balloon, bowl (greased or covered in cling film), cardboard shapes, plastic containers, etc.
- Petroleum jelly or cling film (to help release the project from non-disposable molds)
- A paintbrush (optional, for applying paste)
- Paint (acrylics work well), markers, and other decorations
- Varnish or sealant (optional, for durability and shine)
- A protected work surface (plastic tablecloth, more newspaper)
Making the Paste – Two Easy Options:
1. Flour and Water Paste (Classic & Cheap): Mix 1 part white flour with 1 to 2 parts water in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Gently heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly (like thin gravy). Let it cool completely before use. Alternatively, for a no-cook version, just whisk 1 part flour into 2 parts water until as smooth as possible – it works, though the cooked version is slightly stronger. Use within a day or two.
2. PVA Glue Paste (Stronger & Dries Clearer): Mix white school glue (PVA) with water. A good ratio is typically 2 parts glue to 1 part water, or even 1:1 for extra strength. Stir well. This paste is less prone to mould and dries harder and clearer than flour paste.
Let’s Get Mâché-ing: Step-by-Step Fun
1. Prep Your Space and Materials: Cover your table! Tear up lots of newspaper into strips – roughly 1 inch wide and varying lengths work well. Prepare your chosen mold; if it’s something you want to reuse (like a bowl), lightly grease it with petroleum jelly or cover it tightly with cling film.
2. Dip and Strip: Pour some paste into a shallow container. Take a newspaper strip, dip it completely into the paste, then run it between your fingers (or over the edge of the container) to wipe off excess goo. Too much paste makes drying take forever and can lead to a soggy mess.
3. Apply the First Layer: Smooth the paste-covered strip onto your mold. Apply more strips, overlapping them slightly, until the entire surface you want to cover has one layer. Try to lay strips in different directions for strength.
4. Build Up Layers: Continue adding layers of paste-soaked strips. For most projects, 3 to 5 layers are usually sufficient. For items needing more strength (like a piggy bank), aim for more layers. Ensure each layer covers the previous one well. You can alternate layers using newspaper with print and the blank margins or comics section to help keep track of coverage.
Drying is Key! Patience is crucial for successful papier mâché. Allow the project to dry completely between every few layers if adding many, and especially before attempting to remove it from the mold or paint it. Depending on humidity and thickness, drying can take 24-72 hours or even longer. Place it in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area.
5. Drying Time: This is the most important step requiring patience! Let the papier mâché dry completely. It should feel hard and sound hollow when tapped. This can take a day, or sometimes two or three, depending on the size, number of layers, and humidity. Turning it occasionally can help ensure even drying.
6. De-molding: Once totally dry, carefully remove your creation from the mold. If using a balloon, simply pop it and gently peel it away from the inside. If using a bowl or other solid form, carefully ease the papier mâché shell off. Trim any uneven edges with strong scissors or a craft knife (adult supervision needed).
7. Decorate Your Masterpiece: Now for the really fun part! Once the papier mâché form is dry and sturdy, it’s a blank canvas. Prime it with white paint if you want colours to pop, or paint directly onto the newspaper surface. Use acrylic paints, markers, collage materials, yarn, fabric – anything goes! Let the kids’ imaginations run wild creating masks, animal faces, colourful bowls, pretend planets, or unique sculptures.
8. Seal (Optional): For extra durability and a nice finish, especially if the item might be handled often or get slightly damp (like a decorative bowl), you can apply a coat or two of clear acrylic sealant or varnish once the paint is fully dry.
Clean Up and Final Thoughts
Newspaper crafts, especially papier mâché, can be messy, but cleanup is usually straightforward. Flour paste washes off easily with warm soapy water. PVA glue often peels off surfaces once dry, or cleans up with water while wet. Having wipes handy during the process helps manage sticky fingers.
Safety First! Always supervise younger children during craft activities, especially when using scissors or craft knives. Ensure you are using non-toxic glue and paints suitable for children. If using spray paints or varnishes, do this in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors, and ideally this step should be handled by an adult. Protect clothing with aprons or old shirts.
Turning old newspapers into woven hats or papier mâché creations is more than just a craft; it’s an exercise in imagination, resourcefulness, and good old-fashioned fun. It shows kids that creativity doesn’t require expensive supplies, and that something destined for the recycling bin can have a second life as a treasured object. So, gather those papers, mix up some paste, get your scissors ready, and prepare for an afternoon of wonderfully creative, slightly messy, memory-making fun!
