A papier-mâché head decorated with paint

1   Inflate a balloon for the head. Cut a 30 x 8 cm piece of card for the neck.

2   Stick the piece of card together with tape to form a tube and cover the tube with duct tape to prevent the pulp soaking into the card (if the card tube is not covered with duct tape, the head will collapse because of the weight of the pulp. Attach the tube onto the bottom of the balloon as shown in the photo.

3   Mix papier-mâché pulp with water in the ratio: 12 cups pulp to 4 cups water (3 parts pulp to 1 part water) and knead the mixture together.

4   Cover the balloon and the tube with a thin layer of papier-mâché pulp.

5   Cover the entire head. Model a nose and the ears from papier-mâché pulp and attach these onto the figure. Leave to dry completely prior to painting (this may take several days depending on the thickness of the papier-mâché pulp on the head).

6   Paint the head with paint once completely dry.