The Twelve Days of Craft-mas: Day Eight

On the Eighth day of craft-mas, I made this for my tree…

paper mache fruit!

Victorians loved to decorate with fruit. They would sometimes hang real apples from the tree, but the 1875 Bazaar tells us that “imitation oranges and apples have a lighter effect upon the tree than real ones.” (1) What’s a more Victorian way of making fake fruit than paper mache?

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 1hr (not including drying time)

Note: You will need to let the apple dry overnight, so plan accordingly.

Fig. 1. Necessary tools

What you will need

• a large container

• flour

• water

• craft glue

• old newspaper

• paint and paint brushes

• craft twine or other wirey cord

• something to protect your working surface (this craft gets pretty messy!)

Instructions

Mix equal parts flour and water, adding ~2 Tbsp of glue for every half cup of water.

Rip some (not all) of the newspaper into strips

Take half a sheet of unripped newspaper and scrunch it into a tight ball

Wrap your twine or cord around the ball of newspaper tightly. Leave a length of the twine sticking straight out - this will be the stem of the apple.

Dip a strip of newspaper into the paper mache mixture. Use your fingers to scrape off the excess

Wrap the strip onto your newspaper apple core and smoothen it out.

Continue to add strips, keeping in mind the apple shape you’re going for.

Use your fingers to sculpt and squish the apple into its desired shape.

Place your apple on a piece of newspaper and leave it to dry overnight

Once your apple is dry, you are ready to paint and decorate it! I made mine red, but you can take whatever creative path you choose.

Once the paint is dried, you can attach a hook to the stem, or if its strong enough, use the stem itself to hang the apple from your tree

fig. 2. My apple on my tree!

What I enjoyed

This craft reminded me of how fun paper mache can be! Revisiting the craft as an adult showed me that I can do a lot more with it than I could in kindergarten. It may become a new hobby!

What i found difficult

This is a very messy craft. If you’re not willing to get your hands all gluey and floury, it may not be for you. It’s also annoying to have to wait for it to dry before you can paint, but I guess that’s just part of the process.

How did your apple turn out? Did you try making any other fruits? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram @dalnavertmuseum !

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Sources

1. Anonymous. “Entertainment at Children’s Parties”, Bazaar Exchange and Mart, and Journal of the Household, December 1875, p. 420