Rock Work - Ultimate Paper Mache

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Made by Lila Molitor

We are trying to create some “rock work” in our greenhouse. I used chicken wire, foil, paper machet clay, then concrete and acrylic paint. Once completely dry, I sprayed it with a sealant. We are doing the interior wall peaks to the ceiling peak with rock too. I am not as happy with it.. yet!

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9 thoughts on “Rock work”

1. This is a great idea for a greenhouse. It makes the whole place more organic. I sure hope you can get a recipe that withstands moisture. like papercrete.

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2. Oh this is a recipe I have to try! A friend of mine wants a boat and some racoons for her pond area and I have been trying various ways of making these outdoor sculptures work near the water. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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3. I like what you’ve done so far Lila. You’ve combined two of my great loves–greenhouses and paper mache.

   I would also be concerned about the constant moisture in the greenhouse. How is it holding up?

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4. I love your idea and dream of doing half of my living room wall with clay. However, having said that, if it is really a greenhouse, the moisture will be a problem. When I lived in California, mold was a big problem (now I live in the dry state of Utah!). Please let us see what you do. Interesting.

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   • That is why I suggested papercrete, Rex. I don’t think the moisture would be a problem. The flour involved in paper clay is what causes the mould problem. If you use cement instead of drywall and sand instead of flour, problem solved and it will last forever too. I believe Papercrete is used extensively in Mexico to build houses! Great stuff. Has natural thermal and fire-proofing qualities too.

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     • Yes. I agree with you. I trust you. I don’t want Michael coming after me! (In California I put bleach in with the paper so it wouldn’t mold BEFORE it got on a project.) Thanks.

       I had a friend in Mexico and when visiting him I watched them build houses with “stuff.” I think that is what it was.

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5. Hello Lila, Have you thought about using Papercrete rather than paper clay and concrete? You would start off the same, with chicken wire but instead of foil, stuff it with newspaper or cardboard. Cardboard could be cut into strips to make the basic shape easily. The chicken wire needs to go tight against it to create something for the papercrete to ‘grab’. Papercrete is essentially cement mixed with paper pulp. It dries very hard and strong. but is very light. I use it outside. It doesn’t need to be sealed and can be painted with acrylics or whatever paint gives you the effect you want. A good sculpting mix is 3 parts paper/cardboard, 1 part sand and 2 parts cement powder all whizzed up in a bucket with a paint stirring drill attachment. You need to get the paper or cardboard pulped into the mix. It’s very cheap to make too.

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   • Hi Sara. Thanks for the papercrete recipe. I’ve never heard of it before. Could you use the cellulose insulation for the paper pulp?

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     • Absolutely. I’m not sure what sort of texture the insulation has but if you find the mix too rough, add a little more sand or even soil or ash from a fire! Adding earth or ash gives a lovely clay-like sculpting medium. They all work well. You can play around with the mix it is very forgiving. I hope you have fun experimenting and I’d love to know how you get on.

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