Paper Mache Business

Also known as Papier Mache is a simple but very effective art. It is simple in that you only need a binding agent like glue to bind pieces of paper together to form any shape you want. Paper mache is effective in that even intricate shapes like people’s faces can be created by using simple strips of scrap paper joined together.

Where to Source Scrap Paper

Paper mache is also cheaper as compared to creating sculptures made of clay or clay mixes. Compared to clay which must be bought a person can simply source together free scrap paper from households, companies and other organisations that has them. This is especially so for companies.

Companies use a lot of paper that has a lot of confidential business and legal information on a daily basis but many of these kinds of papers lose their confidential and legal importance after a while and are usually discarded after several years. If you want to source scrap paper from companies it is best to contact them even before they do their large scale paper disposals.

Binding Agent

Once you have found a steady source of scrap paper then you decide which kind of binding agent you will need. One of the most common binding agent used in paper mache is flour. Whatever binding agent you use make sure that the scrap paper does not become soggy and split into pieces. This will ruin your work by making you redo the process again and again.

One technique I learned from watching YouTube videos of paper mache artists is not to dip your scrap paper in the binding agent but rather dip your fingers instead. By using this technique you ensure that you have just enough binding agent in your hands to make the scrap papers stick to each other without making them soggy that they split into pieces.

It is an Old Art

Paper mache is an old art and there are paper mache artists that say that it is a dying art. Looking at many online articles and pictures of paper mache art for example the Pinata of Mexico you could see the strong relation between paper mache and cultural and more nature themed designs.

I have never seen paper mache used in a more modern way. This is perhaps due to the prevalence of plastic as a medium of shape for objects. Plastic has not only replaced many objects made of paper but also objects made out of steel, iron, glass, leather and so on so the problem is not only unique to the paper mache businesses.

Plastic is not only very flexible and waterproof but can easily be mass produced in a short period of time. No wonder many people refer to the time when plastic was invented until today as The Age of Plastic. One thing very negative about plastic is its toxicity and need of specialised equipment to produce products from it. Despite this more and more products of art will be made from plastic.

Make Custom Pieces to Survive

If paper mache companies keep producing similar paper mache products on a mass scale basis it would not be long before a plastic manufacturer would copy their products and turn them to plastic products to be sold at lower prices. This is the nature of the business. The only reason paper mache mass producing businesses still exist is because plastic manufacturers do not see enough profit from these businesses yet to justify producing their own plastic line.

The only way I can see paper mache businesses continue to thrive is by producing custom made limited run products. For example there are paper mache artists like Dan Reeder from Seattle, USA of Gourmet Paper Mache fame who creates limited run of paper mache products that are hard to convert into plastic. He is for example well known for his many dragon paper mache.

If a plastic company tried to turn one of his dragon paper mache it can do so but at a significant price. Just paying for the mold could cost several thousands of dollars maybe even a hundred plus the equipment for the molding process could cost much more than the mold. A company trying to copy his product is better off paying cheap artisans instead.

Dan sells his dragons for $2,000 plus shipping. Though I do not doubt the talent of Dan for making beautiful paper mache I can find people with talents that if not on par may be almost on par with Dan who can create similar pieces of art for a much lower pay. This is one product where turning it to plastic would really be not that economical but it can be done.

Make Modern Designs and Applications

Would it be nice to see a detailed jet figher plane or a battle tank or even a spaceship made out of paper mache? I am not talking about small scale models but large ones even life sized. Large objects are where paper mache excel in cost effectiveness and ease of construction. These commission works do not present themselves frequently and you must take the incentive to present your products even before there is a demand.

For example plants and trees make any inside structure of a building more natural looking. There are already many plants made out of plastic but not tall and large trees. You could approach companies with large open places inside their buildings and offer to make paper mache trees that complement their large open internal building spaces.

Dress ups like cosplay, steampunk and so on are also popular especially with young people and you could offer your paper mache skills to these people. You could make paper mache props and accessories for them to wear and you could even make paper mache decorations for their lifestyle.

You could for example make large paper mache weapons, masks, armour, hats and so on for them to wear or to display in their homes. If you are talented enough you can even make paper mache sculpture of actual characters and people for special occasions. For example you can offer a comedian to make a funny paper mache about him as a prop for people to laugh at and make him more popular.

There are even paper mache that could be made waterproof. So it further opens up applications for paper mache for outdoor and wet use. I have even seen a canoe made up of the paper mache process. The limit is your creativity. For example you can create a paper mache of a waterproof dragon boat complete with the dragon head design.

Conclusion

Plastic will continue to dominate in creating the shape of many objects and many products such as those made from paper will become obsolete. For the paper mache companies and artists to thrive they must create products that are hard to be duplicated on a mass scale and find new uses for paper mache products.