How to Make a Paper Mache Starfish

I adore paper mache. When it comes to crafting, I would go so far as to say it's my first love. Since we've moved to more humid climes, however, I've found that my projects don't dry quickly (or at all) on their own.

I've learned to compensate by using the oven and putting drying racks over heat vents. Another way I compensate is by finding ways to keep my armature from getting too wet.

Working on the Beach House Path

It's been quite a while since I posted any beach house updates. We continue to plug along with projects, but we try to balance work weekends with resting weekends and entertaining weekends.

Each year we improve the beach path a little bit more. When we first bought the house, the path was only inches wide, and full of holes and random hidden driftwood logs to trip us up. I think I spent as much time face down in the dune grass, as I did walking down the path!

Creating Art With Beach Treasures

If you drag home lots of shells and sand dollars from your beach vacations, here is a project that is fun for both kids or grownups.

We spend a lot of time at the beach on the Pacific Northwest coast, and have collected baskets and baskets of shells and sand dollars. I adore them in their natural state, but also love the idea of using them to create art.

A Beautiful Mess

As we head into summer, we are gearing up for lots of guests at our beach house. Entertaining can be pretty stressful, and I think we all pressure ourselves to "be the hostess with the mostest".

We plan elaborate parties, with fancy decorations, and worry about whether all our guests will be impressed. During our parties, we're constantly tidying up, checking on toilet paper, putting out dry towels, and making sure there is plenty of ice.

Driftwood Magnifying Glass Handle

First of all, I want to start out by saying I LOVE this idea! Second, it's not my idea.

I saw a tutorial for making a rustic magnifying glass handle, using a stick, by my friend Gina at Shabby Creek Cottage.

10 Pretty Seashell Projects!

I adore seashells. As a little girl, my mother taught me the joy of wandering quietly on the beach in search of the perfect shell or sand dollar. That love of beachcombing followed me into adulthood. I now have bowls and baskets of shells -- keepsakes from the many beaches my family has visited. For years, I was able to keep the collection in check, but then we bought the beach house, and things got out. of. control.

My husband has suggested we don't actually need three ginormous baskets of shells in our living room (please, nobody tell him about the ones stashed in various closets).

10 Awesome Driftwood Decorations!

Last week a good friend from Colorado came to visit at our beach house.  I love when she come to visit, because she is content to wonder on the beach for hours, looking for a certain kind of shell, or size of driftwood.

Needless to say, we always end up hiking back to the house with bags of heavy wet driftwood!

The World's Easiest Word Banner

Sometimes you only have five minutes to spare, but that's all you need to create a little JOY banner like this one!

This project couldn't be easier, and you don't need any fancy machines or expensive materials.

Make a Driftwood Sailboat Ornament

My friend and I made some darling little sailboats on one of her visits out to the Pacific Northwest. We had so much fun beach combing and talking, and thrifting and talking, and crafting and talking.

Here is how you can make your own sailboat ornaments!

How to Make Faux Coral

Are you still loving all the faux coral decor we've been seeing at places like Pottery Barn and Horchow?  I know I love it!

 Pottery Barn

By using faux coral, you can enjoy the casual beachy feeling of decorating with coral, without worrying about how the coral was harvested.  Sometimes that faux coral comes with a pretty steep price tag, so I've come up with a way to create beautiful faux coral using very inexpensive materials.

My faux coral was created using paper mache pulp.  Although you can purchase paper mache pulp in craft supply stores, I make my own pulp using toilet paper!

Start by unwinding about a half a roll of toilet paper into a bowl and soaking it in hot water from the tap.

After a few minutes, it should look really disgusting.  Next, drain off your excess water if it's really soupy, and agitate the toilet paper with your fingers -- toilet paper is made from really short fibers so that it will break down easily, which is why it works great for paper mache pulp.

Now, add a giant handful of joint compound and about three-quarters of a cup of flour to the bowl.  Mix it all up together with your hands (or use an electric beater).  Some people like to add a giant dollop of glue to the mix at this point.  I add it if I have it, as it really does strengthen the final product, but you don't need to use it, as the flour is your "glue".  I also sometimes add talc to my mix (the kind we used to put on babies' bottoms) if I think the mixture needs more "body".

(The talc and the joint compound act as "filler", while the paper fiber adds strength.  The flour and glue cement it all together.)

Congratulations, you have just made paper mache pulp!

Now you need to create an armature to apply your paper mache pulp to.  Here, I created an armature from florist wire I had on hand.  Baling wire would probably have been a better choice, but I didn't have any when the "inspiration to create" struck.  For smaller projects the florist wire is fine, but for heavier projects, you will want to use a heavier gauge wire.

Because the paper mache is wet, it can cause the wire to rust and stain your pulp, so I wrapped it all in masking tape.  This also gives the armature some "tooth" for the pulp to hang on to as you apply it.

You may need to do two or three coats, depending on your project.  Allow your project to dry completely before adding another layer of pulp, or you might end up with a wet moldy mess.  In Arizona, a layer might dry completely in a couple of hours, while here in the Pacific Northwest, I wait at least a day for a layer to dry. Sometimes I can hurry it along by placing a project on a rack over a heating vent. After your final coat is partly dry, you may want to experiment with adding texture to the surface of your project.  I poked at mine with a wooden skewer to make it look craggy.

If you would prefer a smoother surface, be sure to smooth the wet pulp as you apply it (you can use a little spatula for this).  You can also sand your project when it is completely dry.

When your sculpture is completed, add a coat or two of gesso and any sealer you like.  I actually used an antiquing glaze on my faux coral.  I wanted it to feel like an antique specimen you might find in a dusty old library.  If you like the sun-bleached look, you might want to skip the antiquing step.

If you've enjoyed this tutorial, you may want to subscribe to House Revivals, so you won't miss parts two and three of this series. Happy creating!

This project is being linked to the following lovely places:
The Shabby Creek Cottage 
Hookin' Up with HoH 
Funky Junk Interiors

Happy Home Al Fresco, the Beach House, and the Kitchen Renovation

For all my dear friends who left comments and emails in the last couple of days -- I am not ignoring you.  I just fell a little behind when I had to make a quick trip out to the coast to meet up with some contractors about the beach house renovation.  Honest.  It was a business trip.  Really, it was.

It was still a bit foggy out to sea, but it cleared up in time for my 

camera battery to die a few minutes after this picture was taken :)

 Does anyone else have luck like that?

And even on, ahem, a business trip a girl's gotta eat breakfast.  It's the most important meal of the day.

 Look!  It says "Happy Home".  Can you think of a better 

way to start the day in our new old beach house?

Of course, when the kitchen looks like this...

 ... you have to pack your milk in a sweet vintage thermos, and pick up some locally baked pastries.  And then you have to step out onto the deck for some fresh air and a view of the white caps.  You have to.

We've made some progress.  Did you notice the stack of doors is gone?  Well, not gone actually.  Just leaning against a different wall.  They had to be moved to remove the old moldy drywall from the refrigerator nook.   Apparently the ice maker had leaked for years....

.... and the sink had leaked, so all the lower drywall on this side of the room has been removed, as well.  Something else is missing, too.  Do you know what it is?  It's the rat poo! I'm doing the "no more rat poo happy dance"!

Sigh.  I love my kitchen.  I'm pretty sure people think I'm crazy 

when I say that, but they don't see the things I see. (At this point my 

husband would probably interject that they don't hear 

the voices I hear, either, but that's a subject for a different post...)

No more mold in my kitchen, and no more rat poo, either -- woohoo!  In a few weeks, there won't be any rot in there, either.  I'm just keeping my eyes on the prize.

Remember what we started with?  We really are making some progress.  The holidays and the weather and the crazy short daylight hours slowed us down a lot, but we're ramping up again.

This was what the kitchen looked like at first.  See that very dirty looking floor area where the cabinets used to be?  Yup.  That's rat poo.  Lots and lots of rat poo....  I walked into that kitchen the first time, right past the rat poo, and knew I was home, but I think my husband wanted to run the other way!

I do hope there will be lots more meals taken like 

this -- even after the kitchen renovation is finished.

Now, just for fun, here's a picture from down at the beach this morning.

Look at that handsome dog -- can you believe he'll be fifteen 

in June?  I had to keep calling him up the cliff to keep him 

away from rolling logs today.  He just has so much energy!

This picture is very deceiving.  That little log in the background actually has a diameter of over four feet at the base.  When the waves came crashing in, they would pick that log up like it was a bath toy and roll it around, and twist it in different directions.  This is why it is so important to stay far away from logs in the surf.  A wave can pick it up and put it on top of you in a heart beat!    And waves can really take you by surprise -- just a couple of minutes after this picture was taken a wave crashed right where I was standing to get this shot.  Aslan (the dog) and I bolted up the cliff, barely escaping a good soaking!

Now, I'm off to start returning emails -- I missed you guys!

This post is being linked to these wonderful blogs:

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff 

Met Monday at BNOTP

Saturday Nite Special at funky Junk Special

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up

Chic on a Shoestring

Remodelaholics Anonymous

Inspiration Friday at Southern in My Heart

Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

My Romantic Home Show and Tell

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Crazy Cute at Between You and Me

Hookin' Up with HoH

A Glimpse Inside

A Southern Daydreamer's Outdoor Wednesday

Tales From Bloggeritaville Thrifty Thursday

Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in The Roses

Combing the Beach for Color Inspiration

We are running away from Black Friday today!  We will be heading out to the shore to do a different kind of "hunting and gathering".

I'm not actually talking about beach combing, although we may do a little of that...

If we get really lucky, maybe the tides and storms will bring some really cool treasures. 

But mostly, I'll be collecting color inspiration for the beach house remodel.

Don't you just love the bit of lavender and pearly gray on the inside of the razor clam shell?
 

Of course, color inspiration can be found among the dune grass, as well!

This deep eggplant color is pretty scrumptious..,

... as are the warmer tones of this clam shell.  The dark gray of the sand really sets the colors off, don't you think?

Maybe we'll look to the gray-blue of the winter sky for inspiration.

And maybe, just maybe, the sun will peak out and show us something like this.

I was hoping to get another tutorial up before leaving town, but that may not happen, in our rush to get out the door.   Hopefully, we'll have a remodeling update for you when we get back!

Have a wonderful weekend!