How to Make a Paper Mache and Coat Hanger Dinosaur
- 1). Open up the wire hangers all the way. The wire hangers will be the dinosaur’s skeleton.
- 2). Sculpt the first hanger to resemble the tail, body, neck and head of the dinosaur using needle nose pliers.
- 3). Cut the second opened up wire hanger into two equal pieces using wire cutters. Place them over the first piece to make the frame for front and back legs. Attach them securely with wire. Bend the ends of the legs into feet, using your pliers, so that the dinosaur skeleton can stand up.
- 4). Give the dinosaur’s body shape by wrapping crumpled up newspaper and plastic bags around the skeleton with masking tape. Cover the entire dinosaur, giving him a thin neck and tail and a big belly, until the wire hanger is completely hidden.
- 5). Cover the entire dinosaur with polyester or cotton bating, which you can find in the sewing and fabrics section of a craft store.
- 6). Decide which paste you will use for your paper mache: you can make your own using flour and water, or simply use some ready-made paste like wallpaper paste, liquid starch or plain white glue.
- 7). Cut out long strips of newspaper that will be used to cover the dinosaur and cover your work area with newspapers. Paper mache is messy.
- 8). Dip your newspaper strips into your paste, pulling off excess liquid with your fingers.
- 9). Cover the dinosaur sculpture with a layer of paste-covered newspaper strips and let it dry for about 24 hours. Repeat the paper mache process, giving your dinosaur as many layers necessary to feel solid and sturdy, at least 3.
- 10
Coat your dry sculpture with several layers of paint primer to give yourself a smooth surface to be painted. - 11
Paint your dinosaur once the primer is dry. Alternatively, cover your sculpture with decoritive crate paper if you prefer not to paint it.