4th graders have been busy the past three weeks with a paper mache project. They are making a large, three dimensional letter. They chose to represent either their first or last name. Each student brought in a cereal box to use as the base for this project. We began by tracing a letter pattern onto the cereal box cardboard twice and then cut the letters out. To create the width of this three dimensional letter, we glued small plastic cups to one side of the letter and then glued the other letter on top.
Next, the students added masking tape around the edges of the letter to add strength and keep the structure together, preparing it for paper mache.
Last week, many classes began the paper mache process and added a layer of newspaper pieces covered in paste. The paste we use is School Smart Art Paste and it is awesome. I can mix up a 4 gallon batch with one box of this stuff. It's non-toxic and easy to store so I can use it for weeks at a time. Most of the students loved dipping their fingers into the ooey-gooey paste. However, there were a couple that were repulsed by it.
This week, we began to add our last layer, using white paper towel to cover the print on the newspaper. Hopefully, this step will help us avoid having to put layers and layers of paint on the letter to cover the print.
I really like how this project is turning out. So many students really got a hang of the process and were able to create a nice, smooth and even surface with the paper mache. It's not as easy as it looks! Great job 4th grade! We have one more week of paper mache and then we will begin to plan how to paint our letters.