It's just flour and water, like you said!! I usually just pour in amounts of each until I get a consistency I like.

I've also read that you can use wallpaper paste that's already mixed, so if this is an adult project that needs to last a long time, it might work better than the flour and water.

Why not buy a roll of brown butcher paper from either a teacher's store or Home Depot, and scrunch a 7 foot section up. Unscruntch it and that staple or use another way to fasten it to your wall. Then rip smaller narrower strips and do the same for the limbs. Rip three large triangular sections and attach these for roots. The end result will be a large three dimensional tree on your wall without the mess of paper mache and in about 15 minutes of time, you can still use your construction paper for prayer leaves. You can also use chix wire and form a tube with some smaller tubes for branches and use papier mache with the torn brown paper for an interesting free standing tree. It is a bit more complicated than this and I have a more detailed description of this process if you would like it but I do not think that is what you are looking for at the moment. Have fun.

With regard to the actual paste, if you are using flour and water, I usually add salt to that mixture so that it dries faster. You can also add some powder tempera paint if you want a colored paste.

I've also read that if you add some carpenter's glue to your paste mixture it strengthens it, especially for large projects such as what you are doing. Here is the concentration I've used: 1 1/2 cup water, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup carpenter's glue.

Jaymie

Liquid starch also works as a papier mache paste. I use it when making masks in my art class at school.

I just made a fish for our offering container...the key is layers! I used newspaper and flour and water mixture with some white glue for added strength and lots and lots of layers....Turned out fab! ( Spray paint for the colors!)....I am liking that tree idea....

Dian

I do a huge 3D paper mache project each year in the Montessori classroom that I work in. We have done a baby elephant that stood 4 foot tall, a stegasaurus that was probably 8 feet long and 4 feet tall, dragons, etc. (this year is a teradactyl). Just giving this info so you know I come from experience. Layering is very important but I rarely do more than 3 layers in the following order. 1. newspaper 2. newsprint with no print (mailing centers or moving centers have this) and 3. either paper towels or brown paper towels. Newsprint leaves many edges the papertowel layer gives a very nice finished texture and by varying the three layers you can easily see what still needs to be worked on. I also do many large paper mache projects for our VBS and always have these be the project that kids work on during set-up week so the moms can focus on other things. The kids love it and then share what they did with their friends and they almost always bring more friends because of this. In our church, set-up week has become a great time to invite children to help with some of the projects! Of course you can not be afraid of messes, just plan for it with tarps.