Paper mache is one of my favorite art projects to do, and paper mache donuts are an easy subject to make and also come out looking very real! This project can be adapted to create anything out of paper mache though. When completing “Step 1,” you just have to create a form in the shape of whatever you would like to make. Fisher wanted to make a giant strawberry instead of a donut, so he used newspaper to make the shape of a strawberry, and then used masking tape to hold it in place. The paper mache and painting steps to complete the project remain the same.

What you will need:

• Newspaper

• Masking tape

• Flour

• Water

• Waxed paper

• Acrylic Paint

• Paintbrushes

• Mod Podge

• Sprinkles

Step 1 - Make the form

The first thing you’ll have to do to make a paper mache donut is to create the form of it. The form is just the shape of the object that you want to make. So for a donut, I usually use two full sheets of newspaper. Crumple and un-crumple them a couple times to make the newspaper soft. Then, put them together (one on top of the other) and scrunch them up long ways (to look kind of like a snake). Wrap them around one of your hands to create a circle with a hole in the middle (or a donut shape), then tape into place. It helps to have your masking tape torn into pieces and stuck to the side of a table so that they’re ready to go, since you will only have one free hand. You can work with the form to shape it however you want it to look.

Step 2 - Paper mache

To mix the paper mache paste, put flour and water in a bowl together and mix it with a spoon or with your hand…it’s a little easier to get the lumps out with your hand. Once mixed, the paste should be the consistency of pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more water; if it is too thin, add more flour.

Next, take some sheets of newspaper and rip them into strips, then rip those strips in half. Exact measurements don’t matter, but my strips are usually about 6 inches long and 1-1.5” wide.

Dip each strip (one at a time) into the paper mache paste, use two fingers (forming scissors with them) to squeegee the extra paste off, and then place it tightly somewhere on your form. Repeat this step (making sure to overlap your strips) until the entire donut form is covered.

I like to try to do at least 2 coats of paper mache. Place the donut on a piece of waxed paper to dry.

Step 3 - Paint

Once the paper mache is completely dry, mix some acrylic paint to make a good donut color. Jack wanted to make a plain donut, so we mixed some white with a little brown, red, and yellow, playing around with the paint until we achieved a color we were happy with. Paint the entire donut with this color. Again, make sure that you work on a piece of waxed paper so that it doesn’t stick. Repeat this if the donut looks like it needs a second coat, but acrylic paint is pretty thick, so one may be good!

When the paint is dry, choose a type of “icing.” Jack wanted chocolate, so we used brown paint mixed with a tiny bit of black to make a good icing color. Paint just the top part of the donut with this paint and let dry.