Paper Mache Meatballs For A Spaghetti And Meatballs Costume, Or Just Because!

Knowing how to make great looking paper mache meatballs is just one of those things every crafter should have up their sleeve, because you just never know what life will bring! And once the secret gets out that you're kind of crafty, the phone starts to ring with all kinds of requests......take my word for it! And what better way to do acts of kindness?

And the good news is, that this little paper mache meatball technique could certainly be used to make other things as well, for example planets, or boulders, or come to think of it even the ancient stones of the Kotel (Western Wailing Wall), whaddya know?

How To Make Paper Mache Meatballs (Or Planets, Or Boulders, Or Ancient Stones.......)

You'll Need:

styrofoam balls the size of meatballs (or the size of the planets of your choice etc.)
cardboard egg cartons, 1 carton equals enough material for about 12 meatballs
white glue
brown and black acrylic paint
acrylic varnish
toothpicks

Preparation:

Tear the egg carton into small pieces and soak in warm water.
Use a soup wand, or blender, to break the pieces down further resulting in a chunky pulp.
Squeeze as much water as you can out of the pulp.
Start adding white glue and mixing until a sticky mixture of pulp and glue is formed
Coat the outside of your styrofoam balls with the pulp mixture, make them as rough or smooth as desired for your project, I tried to leave mine rough looking to resemble ground meat.
Set aside on a plate to dry, turning every few hours. For the quickest drying time, put them in the sun.
Poke a toothpick into each meatball and give it a base coat of brown. Set aside to dry by poking toothpick into a base of some kind, like upcycled styrofoam, or an egg carton.
Give meatball some depth by sponging on a darker shade of brown as well as some specks of black. Set aside to dry.
Give meatballs a final coat of acrylic varnish to make them shine a bit, as meatballs, and most food does. As you may notice in my photos I did not varnish my meatballs on account of time constraints, but you certainly should, and I certainly will next time!

That is it, enjoy! And I'll leave you with this little piece of advice: when life gives you paper mache meatballs, let your creativity soar!