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I am designing a Mardi Gras float for my krewe for the 2009 season and am considering using paper mache palm trees with our theme. I have never worked in this medium and would like to know how hard it would be to make 6-8ft palm trees to attach to our float. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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I shouldn't think that would be too difficult.
PVC plastic water pipe should make good trunks. You could use the 4" pipe if you wanted straight trunks. For curved trunks, maybe a cluster of the narrower pipes firmly taped together to form the desired curve, then wrap with newspaper that has had adhesive spread on it. Detail the trunk surface as needed.
The leaves could be made from just some heavy wire and paper.
There is a heavy wire that comes in large coils. I don't remember what it's original use is (chainlink fencing comes to mind, but...), someone at Lowe's or Home Depot should know what it is. It is coiled in a wide curve (almost 3ft) and has to be cut with bolt cutters. All you would have to do is straighten out the curve slightly, then glue the paper leaf over it and then paint it (cut the leaf tatters after painting, not before). Be sure to leave some of the wire uncovered so you can stick it into the top of the trunk.
If rain is a possibility, I wouldn't use tempera/poster paints, as they will run. Use acrylic, even leftover house paint. If you have a recycling center locally that accepts partially-used cans of paint, see if they have some useful colors (green, brown), as they usually unload it cheap or free.
Sue
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You could carve a block of polystyrene/styrofoam (or glue a number of sheets together) into a rough tree trunk shape and use papier mache for the leaves, bark and branch details.
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A possible problem with foam could be the wind in Florida. Although you might be able to run some rebar down the center for support.
Sue
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Sue,
totally agree that foam would need to be supported. A hole up through the centre for a post could work as well as rebar.
If you use 4" plastic pipe and want to form a curve or bend you can gently apply heat to heat and pull it into the curve you want. Leave it in this position till it cools this would work also on smaller pipes that could be used as branches. The advantage is that you already have a hole in the tree to enable a support.
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A slightly different approach with the leaves would be to use a thinner wire (3mm?) and tape it round the edge of the cardboard that you use for the main leaf. It can then be bent into shape before laminating paper all over.
DavidO
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I'm new here, but i just happened to have made some palm trees for a birthday party. I used carpet roll tubes for the trunks. You can go to your local big box hardware store and back in the flooring section they have these big carousel type things where the selections of flooring can be viewed. The Carpet and vinyl comes on extremely sturdy cardboard tubes. There are usually on or two empty ones on the carousel at any given time. The guys at the store are happy to give them to you free of charge! I used short stakes of rebar to support them in the yard, and made papier mache coconuts and fronds. To make curves in the trunk you would just need to use a saw and make cuts in the cardboard to bend them into a curve, and be held in shape with lamination techniques.
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Rubonia ? (she asks, wearing her rubonia tshirt). And what JoJo Ringer said. Carpet rolls are perfect. You can wrap some cheap crepe papier on them for texture and then make the leaves. (Me, I'm making papier mache heads for Burning Bro, the Blueberry Patch version of Burning Man. I lived in New Orleans for 20 years and have made everything but a bathtub out of papier mache. Well, okay, so I've never made giant heads before, either.)
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Greetings.
Hope you're not getting blown away by Fay at this time. Here's what we've done in New Orleans.......
Use chicken wire. (No chickens were hurt in the process.) For those who may not know what it is, this type of wire is commonly used for fencing or cages. It's light and easy to work with. It is found in hardware stores or garden centers and is fairly flexible. Cover it with newsprint (newspaper) attached with masking tape. Follow that by adding overlapped papier mache strips, using your medium of choice. I use Sta Flo Liquid Starch. Texture it, paint it, etc. Finally protect it with a water proof varnish.
There are other materials available. Here are some creative places to start. Try http://www.theatrecrafts.com Also check out Blain Kern Artists for neat floats and artistry at http://www.kernstudios.com.
Keep things light and practical as not to knock things off balance. Use bleed resistant craft tissue or crepe paper for palm leaves and paper mache for the coconuts or dates. But you could also do banana palms and palmetos, etc. Check your local hobby shop or teacher supply store for large sheets of craft paper or order on line. Mostly, have fun with it!
The suggestions offered already prior to mine are very good, of course. Y'all know some stuff. Now you have many choices. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet!
Hope this helps.
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