Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Fall of Fort Paper Mache

We gathered together about 100 milk boxes ('cause that what milk comes in here) to make a paper mache fort.  We mixed some flour and water and the ever-important salt to keep it from growing mildew.  We covered the first wall with saturated newspaper strips then waited for it to dry.  Then we waited some more... and some more... and some more... and... 
a week later it still wasn't dry.  Our art project turned into a science project.  Mom said that was OK because we learned something very valuable.  We learned that salt absorbs water and, since there's lots of water in the air around here, traditional flour-water-salt paper mache never dries.  If anyone has a suggestion for a non-mildew making, non-water absorbing paper mache recipe, we would like to try again.