The Mom I Want to Be

A long (oblong) balloon

A bowl that the end of the balloon fits in (this is just to hold the balloon while you work)

Newspaper

Flour and water

A pan and a stirrer

Scissors

White tempera paint

Paint brush

A black marker

 

Papier-Mâché Glue: Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water. Mix 1/2 cup of flour into 1/2 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 2 cups of boiling water (the heating gives the glue a nice consistency, but is not necessary). Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool. Tear a lot of newspaper into strips. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn’t really matter. Blow up and tie a long balloon.  Place the long balloon in a container (like a bowl) so that it is stable. Dip a strip of paper in the flour glue, wipe off the excess, and wrap the strip around the balloon. Continue with additional strips and cover the entire top of the balloon.  After one layer is done, allow it to dry fully (at least overnight).  Repeat 2 more times, fully covering and fully drying in between each layer.  Let the balloon dry completely (it may take a few days). Pop the balloon and separate it from the outer papier-mâché skin. Throw the torn balloon away. Trim the base of the ghost to form smooth scallops. Cut two holes in the ghost (these will be its eyes).  Paint the ghost white. Let it dry. You can either put the ghost on a table or hang it from the ceiling from fishing line to make a scary Halloween decoration.