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Kwanzaa Bowl

Today at Home : Episode TAH-568 -- More Projects »
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This decorative Kwanzaa bowl was made from papier mâché in the official colors of the seven-day celebration—black, red and green.
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A closeup of the bowl shows the various designs and shapes that were used. Be creative and have fun! This makes a beautiful, colorful centerpiece for Kwanzaa.
Crafter Pam Melton demonstrates how to make a papier mâché bowl, paint it in the colors of Kwanzaa, and use it on a tablescape during the Kwanzaa celebration.

Materials:

bowl (size of your choice)
plastic wrap
paper towels (doesn't matter if they have a design or not)
water (use a spray bottle if available)
white glue (decoupage or wallpaper paste--your choice)
plastic plate
scissors
water-base acrylic craft paint (green, red and black)
paintbrush (spray paint would also work)
small paint sponge

Steps:


  1. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. This makes it easier to remove the mold once it has dried.

  2. Spray the paper towels with water and place on the bowl, which should be upside down and covered in plastic wrap. This will give added assistance when it comes time to pull the mold from the bowl.
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Figure A
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Figure B
  • Pour white glue on a plate and dip strips of wet paper towels into the glue and place on the bowl. Completely cover the bowl. Try to crisscross the glued strips (figure A). According to how thick you want the bowl to be, place as many layers as possible. Let the glued paper towels dry.

  • Lift the shape (figure B) off the bowl. It will be hard. Take a pair of scissors and trim the excess from around the entire edge of the bowl.

  • Paint the inside of the bowl with acrylic water-base craft paint and let it dry. For this project, red was used for the inside of the bowl.

  • Flip the bowl over and paint the outside and let dry. Green was used for this project.

  • Be creative when it comes to decorating the bowl. Kwanzaa symbols would be an appropriate choice, but geometric shapes or whatever you want would work.

  • Apply the decorations with a small paint sponge. The edge of the sponge was covered in black and dabbed along the edge of the bowl for this project. Let your imagination take over at this point.

    * Note: One of the principles of Kwanzaa is to have an ear of corn for each child in the middle of your centerpiece.

    • Guests
    Pam Melton
    Paint Systems Product Specialist, Campbell Hausfeld
    100 Production Dr.
    Harrison, OH 45030
    Toll-free: 888-247-6937
    Also in this Episode
    Today at Home : Episode TAH-568
    •Kwanzaa Bowl
    •Creative Gift Wrapping
    •Hanukkah Table
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