| Time required | Complexity | Tools & Supplies |
|---|---|---|
| 30mn (+1 week drying) | Easy | Common |
I had some paper pulp left from making recycled paper and thought that it would be a good opportunity to make a decorative bedside bowl for my partner’s jewelries. Let’s make it together!
Requirements
Tools
- A blender or hand mixer
- A bowl
Bill of Materials
- Paper or cardboard scraps to recycle
- Watercolor paints
Walk-through
Preparing the paper pulp
Tear down your paper scraps into little pieces and let them soak overnight.
Then blend them into a fine paste with your tool of choice.
Shaping & coloring the bowl
Apply the paste at the bottom of your bowl and press it with your fingers to shape it against the sides of the bowl.
When you are satisfied, dab some paint here and there to your taste. You can then use a brush loaded with water to help the pigment spread around if the paper paste wasn’t wet enough.
.This method has the benefit of leaving the bottom side of the bowl with a very smooth texture. It shouldn’t get stuck as the paper bowl will contract as it dries and become smaller than its mold but if you really want to make sure you can line the mold with plastic wrap.
Drying
Wait until the bowl is completely dry before attempting the remove it from its mold. The paper paste even a little damp as no solidity at all.
It could take up to a week.
Coating the bowl
When the bowl is dry remove it from its mold and apply a coat of diluted white glue with a brush on the whole piece. This will highlight the colors and give some additional strength to the bowl.
Final result
There you go, a simple recycled bowl to hold your keys jewellery or anything else you might like.
Footnotes
Here is another bowl example that I made in the past.
