This awesome DIY Paper Mache Bones craft can be used for a kids dinosaur or fossil birthday party, Halloween party, or even a fun project for an Anatomy class!
Paper Mache Bones Materials:
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newspaper
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flour (or white glue
)
-
water
-
empty paper towel rolls
-
white spray paint
Step 1 – Mix your flour and water into about equal parts to make your paper mache goo. I prefer mine fairly consistent and rather liquidy.
Step 2 – Tear your newspaper into thin long strips.
Step 3 – Dip your newspaper strips into your paper mache mix, swipe off the excess, then wrap around your paper towel tubes.
Step 4 – Now here’s the tricky part – the ends of the bones. Ball up a half sheet of newspaper and wrap it with newspaper strips that have been dipped into paper mache. It’s messy! My husband actually found it easier to wrap painter’s tape around the “balls” of newspaper and then wrap it in paper mache mix. It’s up to you!
Keep winding newspaper that’s been dipped into your paper mache mix and wrap the ends of the bones onto the paper towel tubes. Again it can get a little tricky but my husband used tape for his which seemed much quicker than mine!
It will take a day or two to dry so make sure to start your project early!!
Step 5 – Here comes the fun part! Once your bone(s) are completely dry and covered then it’s time to spray paint!
Because of the shape of the bones I found that I needed a good week to finish spray painting these bones. I sprayed a layer of paint on the side facing up. Pay careful attention to the ends of the bones, especially if you left them a little bumpy like I did!
Make sure you cover the sides of the bone and the ends as well. Let it dry. And do it all over again! Let it dry, then flip the bone over and start on the backside! After spending 3 weeks working hard on my paper mache bones my dog tore them to tiny pieces before I could get a final photo – you have no idea how mad I was at her!! But my husband helped my salvage the pieces the week of my son’s birthday party and try to put them back together.
So my final photo is a little rough and no where near as nice as they were the first time but you get the idea!
For our Fossils & Dinosaurs party (or for Halloween) placing them outside on the front porch is a great idea! You can hang them from the trees. And you can even use them for activities such as hiding them and then searching for them, tossing games, and many other creative uses for parties.

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