{"id":3709,"date":"2018-09-01T14:42:12","date_gmt":"2018-09-01T14:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/?p=3709"},"modified":"2020-11-18T14:50:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T14:50:53","slug":"paper-mache-giant-gummi-bears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/paper-mache-giant-gummi-bears\/","title":{"rendered":"Paper mach\u00e9 giant gummi bears!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>These were so fun! I made these paper mach\u00e9 gummi bears as part of a set of giant candy decorations for my haunted gingerbread house Halloween party!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-08.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-08.jpg\" alt=\"Paper mache gummi bear decorations - finished!\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I created a reusable base for the giant gummi bears; I built one nice solid gummi bear shape and then used it to make multiple paper mach\u00e9 copies. (Other projects where I used a reusable base: <a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/paper-mache-baby-chicks\/\">paper mach\u00e9 baby chicks<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/twin-paper-mache-skull-masks\/\">twin skull masks<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n <div class=\"ad-300x250 ad-float-right\">\r\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- MMS 300x250 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5009313124668288\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3616150394\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>I wanted to mostly go for an old-school 1980s gummi bear design, which is not really very bear-shaped. If you look at more recent gummi bear candies, they&#8217;re molded into much better cartoony bear shapes now! I personally like the crappy old primitive ones, so I ended up going with something kind of in-between the crappy shape and the more detailed shape.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how I made the base&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-01.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-01.jpg\" alt=\"Giant paper mache gummi bears - plastic bowls\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The base is mostly foam board and some plastic bowls, and lots and lots of tape. I started by buying two different sizes of plastic bowls at the dollar store, and by tracing those onto foam board I was able to figure out how big the gummi bears would be.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-02.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-\ncontent\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-02.jpg\" alt=\"Giant paper mache gummi bears - cutting out foam board\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I drew the whole gummi bear shape on one sheet of foam board, cut it out with an X-acto knife, and then traced that onto a second sheet of foam board and cut that one out too.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-03.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-03.jpg\" alt=\"Giant paper mache gummi bears - foam board supports\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>(Right when I started taking these pictures a crazy storm started up, hence the very dramatic lighting!)<\/p>\n<p>I cut out some foam board strips, assembled them into triangular supports, and taped them in between the two foam board gummi bear shapes. I then cut out long strips of poster board and taped them around the edges of the body shape (not shown) to create a curved wall all the way around the base.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-04.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-04.jpg\" alt=\"Giant paper mache gummi bears - assembling the base\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-05.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-05.jpg\" alt=\"Giant paper mache gummi bears - adding a layer of masking tape\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I taped the various bowls in place onto the flat body shape to start rounding it out. I then covered the whole thing in a layer of masking tape, to smooth and unify all these shapes. The top part of the face ended up kind of hollow looking, so I stuffed some aluminum foil in there to round it out a bit. I also added eyes and a nose with little balls of aluminum foil and covered them in tape.<\/p>\n<p>The finished shape wasn&#8217;t quite as sturdy as I wanted it to be, so I covered the whole thing in two layers of paper mach\u00e9. You can read about my paper mach\u00e9 process and materials <a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/my-paper-mache-method\/\">here<\/a>. The short version is: I use <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2LYmQsW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roman PRO-543 universal wallpaper adhesive<\/a> (paid link) and alternating layers of newspaper and brown wrapping paper.<\/p>\n<div class=\"am-item\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00FK8VNJE\/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;linkCode=li3&amp;tag=manningkrull-20&amp;linkId=c750f16dcb0f016ec23f35d64e1c3348&amp;language=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B00FK8VNJE&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=manningkrull-20&amp;language=en_US\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=manningkrull-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li3&amp;o=1&amp;a=B00FK8VNJE\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\"><\/div>\n<p>These layers of paper mach\u00e9 will stay on the base shape permanently, but from this point forward I&#8217;d be using this base to make paper mach\u00e9 copies that can be removed from the base.<\/p>\n<p>Before starting the first copy of my gummi bear base, I covered the base shape in aluminum foil. The aluminum foil is there to act as a release agent; when my layers of paper mach\u00e9 are done, I can remove them and the aluminum foil will lift right off the base.<\/p>\n<p>I applied four layers of paper mach\u00e9 over the aluminum foil, everywhere but the flat surface in the back.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-06.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-06.jpg\" alt=\"Making giant gummi bears - opening the paper mache\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I let the paper mach\u00e9 dry completely, and then I sliced around the back edge with an X-acto knife, releasing the paper mach\u00e9 from the base. The paper mach\u00e9 copy slid right off of the base with a little bit of effort. Above you can see the first copy at the left and the base at the right. I always leave the aluminum foil inside because it adds a tiny (tiny!) bit more stability to the overall shape, kind of like an extra layer of paper.<\/p>\n<p>This gummi was pretty much done, except he was missing a back. I traced and cut out a new foam board back panel, taped it in place, and covered the edges with paper mach\u00e9. Now the first copy was really done! Well, except for paint. And now I was ready to make the second copy, again by starting with a layer of aluminum foil.<\/p>\n<p>(Note: My paper mach\u00e9 gummi bears are hollow and kind of flimsy; totally fine for short-lived party decorations. If I wanted them to be a little more sturdy I would have stuffed them with newspaper before closing them up, and I probably would&#8217;ve gone with six layers of paper mach\u00e9 rather than four.)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-07.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-07.jpg\" alt=\"Making giant gummi bears - painting\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When the gummi bears were all done, I took them outside and spray painted them various colors, and then let them dry for a few hours, and then added a coating of gloss spray on &#8217;em. I let them air out outside for a couple days before bringing them in.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-08.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/paper-mache-gummi-bear-08.jpg\" alt=\"Paper mache gummi bear decorations - finished!\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>So much more to do! On to the next one!<\/p>\n<p><!-- The gummi bears were a big hit at the party! I was really pleased with how they came out, and they were a relatively easy project for such a big colorful memorable part of our decor. On to the next project! --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These were so fun! I made these paper mach\u00e9 gummi bears as part of a set of giant candy decorations for my haunted gingerbread house Halloween party! I created a reusable base for the giant gummi bears; I built one nice solid gummi bear shape and then used it to make multiple paper mach\u00e9 copies. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[304,23,221,303,302,14,3,266,169],"class_list":["post-3709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-candy","tag-decoration","tag-food","tag-gingerbread-house","tag-gummi-bears","tag-halloween","tag-paper-mache","tag-props","tag-sculpture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3709"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5984,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3709\/revisions\/5984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manningkrull.com\/manningmakesstuff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}