Well, I was so in love with them that I decided to make my own. Just in time for Easter too! This tutorial will be easier than you think.
First, as with any paper mache project, grab some paper. He he. You can use newspaper, junk mail, or in my case, an IKEA catalog (don’t worry, I read it first!).
Tear out some pages and wad/squish them up in your hand to form the body of the bird. I used two pages, you can use more or less to create a bird body size you are happy with.
To form the head, use masking tape to create a bird head shape with a little point for the beak at one end of the wad ball. (Who knew there was such potential for a little ball of wadded paper?)
For this bird size, use about 2/3rds of a page, folding it to create a long flat tail, and wrap it in masking tape. (Here’s a little trivia question, do you know which character is on my band aid? “Brownie” points if you do!!)
Next, attach that tail to the bird with some more tape.
The next items you will need are mod podge (50% water, 50% glue works too), wire cutters and needle pliers for extra help, and wire. I used some wire that came in a framing kit. Make sure your wire gauge is thick enough to hold up your bird body.
To create the two little legs and feet, snip off about an eight to 10 inch piece of wire. I created three little toes, and thumb by looping the wire at the bottom.
Turn your little bird over and wrap a piece of tape underneath, position the legs, and secure with tape.
Now to cover the bird. In this step you may use whatever paper you like, I used paper towels. It only took three for both birds. If you choose to use paper towels, your bird will have more texture. If you want a smoother look, use newspaper, craft paper, or printer paper. Make sure you have your mod podge ready and maybe a brush to help smooth down the pieces of paper. This part may get a little messy and sticky!
Take a strip of paper, dip it into your glue/water mixture, and start wrapping your bird body.
Keep adding layers to better form the body. I added extra for the belly and at the top of the legs. You can also curl your bird tail feathers under if you like.
The last step is to paint them. I painted mine with a high gloss, white, spray paint. I waited a few days to make sure they were completely dry before I spray painted them. Here they are, meet Bird 1 and Bird 2.
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