1. With the Chinese cupboard I covered everything with duct tape then spray painted it black



2. The second cupboard was covered with double-sided tape and gift wrapping paper



Eric Guiomar's recipe includes wallpaper paste, water and acrylic paints stirred together, to form a thick glue and thinly painted onto the Nepalese papers then attached to your cardboard structure. Once dry it is waterproofed with bottle of acrylic varnish (normally used to polish the kitchen lino floors.)



warning

When you paint with the wallpaper paste + ACRYLIC PAINT I found when I put too much water the cardboard collapsed. Minimal water is recommended, or paint in the sun, small sections at a time.



OTHER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO COVERING YOUR CARDBOARD FURNITURE

Rice Starch Glue Paste recipe

Rice flour (or wheat flour found in Asian shops)

Water

2 T Salt dissolved in boiling water

optional - Drop of eucalyptus oil to prevent mould



1. Cook until translucent. Keeps in fridge 3 days. This is used instead of PVA for decoupage or papier mache techniques.



Gesso mix

1. Mix the above recipe with the milk paint formula below and add gypsum / whiting / chalk and 1 cup of PVA glue extra. It will look the mask and bowl pictures below with the finish, having a nice smooth wood-like appearance.



2. If you use rabbit sizing instead of PVA it needs to be cooked at medium heat. Whisk until smooth. First soak the granules overnight to 15 parts water. Do not boil.



3. Tempera powdered painted can be added for colouring. Gesso sticks best to a rough surface and may crack when painted.



4.(I made a chalk board with this Gesso mix formula and it was extremely smooth).



5. When dry sand with fine sandpaper. The suface can be painted, inlaid with metal or anything you like.



1870 Milk Paint Formula



1 Quart skim milk (room temperature)

1 Ounce of hydrated lime by weight

(Available at hardware stores. Do not use quick lime (calcium oxide), as it will react with the water and heat up. Hydrated lime has been soaked in water then dried.)





Stir in enough skim milk to hydrated lime to make a cream. Add balance of skim milk. Now add sufficient amount of powder pigment to desired color and consistency (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Stir in well for a few minutes before using. For best results continue to stir throughout use.



Apply a thin layer milk paint with a cheap natural bristle brush. Allow project to dry sufficiently before applying next coat. Extra paint may be kept for several days in the refrigerator, until the milk sours. Double or triple the recipe for paint.



Allow to dry thoroughly 3-4 hours before use. For extra protection, give paint a coat of oil finish or sealer. Color may change - test in inconspicuous area.



Very Durable Weather Resistant Paint



5 parts cottage cheese or dry curd cheese

(Dry curd cheese is cottage cheese without cream or flavoring added. You can make a similar cheese by putting cottage cheese into cheesecloth and hanging it until it stops draining. Use cottage cheese if you are in a hurry.)

1 part hydrated lime or slacked lime



Mix hydrated lime with water to make a paste. Add to cottage cheese and stir in well. Leave for few hours - the cheese lump will dissolve completely. Select some powder pigments and add to solution (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Add more water if too thick; powdered skim milk if too thin. Strain if you want a fine paint (old nylon stocking works well).

