Papier mache bowl making is one of my earliest crafting memories. I remember doing it in my first year of primary school. This is something that is really fun to make with young children. My kids love papier mache. It is a really affordable, fun and simple craft, which only needs a few basic materials and craft items.

Make a simple decorative bowl from papier mache. And when you tell others you made it yourself, I'm sure they will want you to show them how.

Start by coating the inside of the bowl with petroleum jelly to make it easier to release later on. Then, soak the newspaper strips in the wallpaper paste, and cover the inside of the bowl in a minimum of ten layers of the papier mache newspaper strips. Allow it to dry completely before carefully removing it from the mould.

Next, tear up the magazine strips in colours of your choice, I have mainly chosen orange and yellow colours for mine. Make sure that you tear them into long thin triangular strips to get lots of colour variation.

Then paste them around the inside of your papier mache bowl with them tapering towards the bottom. Take your time when you make a simple decorative bowl.

For the outside of the papier mache bowl, use the plain wrapping paper to cover the outside by tearing it into strips and gluing it down and overlapping the edges. 

Finally, once the bowl has dried completely, trim around the top edge of the bowl with scissors. Then apply a coating of varnish to protect the bowl. Then, if you wish, paint a thin line of gold paint around the top edge of the bowl. Now it is ready to use. I use mine for sweets.

Maybe make a few of these simple bowls at a time and get a little production line going. Even if you don't decorate them immediately. It's fun to have the blanks ready for next time you are feeling crafty. This way it will be easy to make a simple decorative bowl for a lovely present or gift.