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How to… make a Fabric Mâché Bowl!

7 May 2010 20 Comments

We all know (and, erm, love?) paper mâché – all that lovely gooey newspaper  creating weird and wonderful new things! A few weeks ago, I came across fabric mâché at Dear Fii’s blog. Using fabric to make a bowl instead of newspaper! What an ingenious way of using up old bits of fabric!

So, I quickly gave it a go and made a little bowl out of some old jeans (scroll down). I am happy with the result, but it doesn’t have quite the same oooh factor as when you use “softer” fabric. So I had another go.

Remember, my no sew bunting? Out came, literally, the scraps from that project. They were only really enough for one layer of the bowl. So what do I do? Use some “new fabric” and cut it up? Kind of defeats the purpose! I then remembered that in my scrap bag, I have an old pillow case. So I decided to make the inside of my bowl white and the outside “colourful”. I decided that look a bit plain, compared to the outside, so decorated the inside too. So.

How to… make a Fabric Mâché Bowl!

1) Materials: Strips of fabric, PVC glue (use cheap children’s glue), scissors, clingflim and a bowl, an old plate to work on

2) Cover bowl in clingfilm (else you work will stick to it). Cover clingfilm with watered down glue (not too watered down)

3) Layer with “soggy” fabric – as I chose white fabric, it doesn’t matter which way up you do it. However if you have patterned fabric, make sure the patter is face down. Make sure you cover the whole bowl at least once.

4) Add outside layer. This time make sure the pattern looks up. A total of 3 layers (of facing down and up fabric) should be enough!

5) Let it dry (may take overnight)

6) Ease out off bowl (the cling film should help, ease the clingfilm off the bowl and then remove it from the fabric bowl) and trim edges if you wish (they can look quite pretty if you leave it “rough”)

7) As my “white” was very “white” I decided to decorate the inside and cut out some patterns from my fabric remains. On the denim bowl, I decided to add a ribbon, I had to use clothe pegs to help keep it in place (keep re-adjusting clothe pegs, so that they don’t stick to the final bowl!!!)

8 ) Use some more PVC glue to glue the shapes in – cover both sides of the shapes to get a nice smooth and flat finished. Let dry and finished!

I am pretty certain that you can make ANYTHING out of fabric the way you can with paper mâché. Let your imagination be the limit!

With the denim one, I am sure, I used a little more glue and the finish is a little more “rough and ready”. But still a great way to recycle and old pair of jeans!!

More “How to…”s:

How to make a Paper Flower (from newspapers)

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20 Comments »

  • TheMadHouse said:

    This is a fantastic idea. I really love it

  • Red Ted Art (author) said:

    Def something different… let me know if you end up making one!!! x

  • Jane said:

    oh wicked i love this one too – lots of old jeans that need cutting up not to mention the odd bits of fabric in the cupboard that i dont throw out just in case! now this is a just incase project!

  • Ellie said:

    Love, love, love this idea! My weekend project me thinks! Thanks again Maggy for the ideas, you are fab :D

  • Luschka said:

    That is great! I love it – I assume you can’t wash these though!?

  • Aly said:

    Most excellent! I will be trying this one!

  • Red Ted Art (author) said:

    I think it is “wipe clean” only ;-) Haven’t tried washing. But guess you could find a lacker of sorts – give it a nice sheen a better surface for cleaning? x

  • Nickie @ Typecast said:

    Liking the denim suggestion in the comments – I now also want to try this out on a balloon to use as a permanent decoration.

    I love your blog :)

  • Red Ted Art (author) said:

    ;-) Awe! Thank you! Love having readers like you… keep me going!! Let me know how the ballon fabric mache goes!!!!

  • greenmum2 said:

    hellooo, we’ve just put a post on our blog inspired by your paper mache, check it out!
    thanks for all your support with our craft ideas, the boys love you
    xx
    ;-)

  • Red Ted Art (author) said:

    DEFINITELY one for Natur Get Crafty! Hurray! It is FABULOUS! What craftiness indeed! x

  • Liz Burton said:

    I would never have thought of doing this with fabric – what a clever idea. I love your denim bowl x

  • mummiafelice said:

    oooh you’ve given me a fab idea for my Easter baskets!! Thank you!!This is just brilliant!

  • Kelly said:

    How cute is this! I can;t wait to give it a try!
    http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/

  • Julie Bagamary said:

    Beautiful and clever bowl!

  • creativejewishmom/sara said:

    ohhhhhh, love this one too! thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!

  • Rachel said:

    This is awesome!!! Thanks for sharing it at For the Kids Friday! I will be featuring you this week! Hope to have you back to link up again this week!

    :) rachel http://sunscholars.blogspot.com

  • Red Ted Art (author) said:

    Oh thank you Rachel! Very much appreciated!!

  • M is for “Mache” | Buttercup's Babies said:

    [...] a couple days before we managed to do our “activity”.  I’d seen this idea for a Fabric Mâché bowl over at Red Ted Art.  Ours didn’t come out quite as cute as Red Ted’s, but it was [...]

  • riccreaties said:

    I did something like this, thanks to your tutorial.
    I was so glad to be able to use my favorite holidaytrousers
    made of African-printings……..instead of having to throw it
    away.
    Next it will be a bowl of my favorite jeans, don’t fit anymore.
    Thanks for this great idea!
    http://riccreaties.wordpress.com/

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