Papier Macheniacs: The Plateau Project

Has your kid ever gone to you with a homework paper that tells you he needs to submit a diorama of a land formation? Maybe. We did a week before the last day of school and we were ecstatic! Yeah, dioramas rock our boat. Uh-huh.

And just like that, it's Family Project Weekend in this household.
Land Formation: Plateau.

You might think it's easy making a diorama of a plateau --and believe me, we thought so, too. I mean, it's just a bunch of boxes, right? Yes and No. Because we Papier Macheniacs don't do anything the easy way. Wahahaha!

So after getting some old boxes together, we rolled sheet music to to create a semblance of rocks and cliffs along the side of the mountain.

Then, we paper mache'd. That's when the magic starts to happen. The moment you start slathering your rough sculpture with that glue and tissue combo, the surface you want takes shape. Now it almost looks like a plateau! Okay... maybe an ice berg at this point. :P

But we don't stop at 'surface'. We wanted 'texture'! And that's how stealing sand from the neighbor's front yard rock garden got us to this part of the project. Hehe. Pepper your wet and sticky sculpture with sand and let it sit for about half the day. As soon as the whole sculpture is dry, you can shake off the excess sand.

Now... paint!
Let me tell you now that painting on sand is tricky as heck. You should use a dabbing kind of painting style so you hit all those tiny nooks and crannies.

And there you have it --PAPER MACHE'S PLATEAU!

The kid scored the highest and now has his project on display at the school library's Geography Department. BIG JOY! I call this another win for Team Papier Macheniacs. :)

Make Brushing More Fun With The Minions

The most challenging part of parenting --other than making your kid eat vegetables-- is making him brush his teeth. Brushing is such a chore and a bore! Boo! No fun! Despicable!

Well, moms, you came to the right place. You have reached the fun time mecca for cleaning those cute little pearly whites --and your kids will love it! Count 'em. Three Fun Brushing Tips:

1. GET THEM INTO THE GAME.

Nothing thrills kids quite like getting their hands on things parents won't usually allow them to. So let him brush his teeth all by himself! Let him SQUEEZE the toothpaste, let him BRUSH like a boss, and let him RINSE like a hyper-pumped geyser. The more you make it a game, the less it becomes less a chore. Take it from my yellow friend here. He's got pearly whites to die for.

2. GET HIM HIS OWN FUN GEAR.

Since we're on the topic of giving your kid free reins of his brushing activity, heck, give him his personal tools to get the job done. No, not job. The FUN done!
Check out Colgate's Minions Toothbrush and Minions Toothpaste! Now we're talking. I mean, seriously, what kid does not ROFL on the Minions? This is the perfect pack to make him look forward to brushing all the time. And since it's from Colgate, you know you're getting a healthy quality toothpaste and a state-of-the-art, feast-for-the-eyes kiddie toothbrush. It's a win-win!
This special comes in a Colgate Minions Kids 2-5 Years Old (Junior) Oral Care Pack and a Colgate Minions Kids 5-9 Years Old (Youth) Oral Care Pack.

3. GET HIM ALL PACKED FOR FUN!

Well, don't stop there! Get him this fantabulous toohushing cabinet which he can call his own. It's a special number from Colgate featuring the Minions. It looks exactly like that adult medicine cabinet you have on top of your sink --except 500 times more fun!

It comes complete with Minion-decked swinging doors for privacy and joy.

Sliding see-through panels for your kid's toothbrush shelf and toothbrush shelf.

And those fun brushing instructions to boot!

It's kinda like a board game with all the pieces that will guarantee a bubbly kid from after dinner to bedtime.

If you're ready to put the fun into brushing, Colgate and the Minions got your back --aaand your kid's teeth, laughs, and giggles. Check out this Colgate special in your favorite supermarkets now!

Papier Macheniacs: The Grim Reaper

Whoa! I've been gone for 4 months?! That is so unlike me! I bet some of you thought I'd died or something!

And THAT, folks, is my train wreck of a segue to our latest Papier Macheniacs project: THE GRIM REAPER!

Handsome devil, ain't he? Who would've thought that this vile face was once a pretty little China doll mask?

We just love disfiguring the pretty little China doll mask. It's like a sport to us.

So we hacked away at the doll face's perfectly flawless chin without an ounce of remorse. Then, we proceeded to add abomination-like details. Rope for eyes, thick board for craggy teeth, and --oooh!-- more cardboard for that disturbingly skewed, hanging jaw.

Then, of course, we even things out by slathering the monstrosity with paper mache. For those who have just tuned in, that's a tissue-glue-water combo AND the very foundation of Papier Macheniacs' existence. Oh, look-- you can hardly see perfect little China doll mask in there now. Hello? Where are yooouuu?

Aaand,,, BOO!
Nothing like a spot of paint to bring out the color of its eyes, huh?
Okay, one tiny bit. If you're painting with your kid (provided creepy skull masks don't creep the heck out of him) and he accidentally spills over the lines, or if his strokes are a little too scraggly for Van Gogh --calm down. This is the Grim Reaper we're making! Believe me, this guy isn't the kind who'd drop by a salon before having a good time.

Now grab a black cloak and you or your kid is ready to go!
Oh, wait --Did you see the tiny add-ons we threw in there, too? THE SCYTHE Never leave home without it. This weapon of destruction we paper mache'd used to be a roll of cartolina. The blade is plain box carton.
Another add-on: SKELETON HANDS! These we made with surgical gloves. Surgical gloves have that bony color to it that makes it perfect for this project. For authenticity, we lined joints with a thick, black marker.

There you go! Now go ahead and scare people! When you own a Grim Reaper mask... everyday is Halloween!