When my pal Jonona Amor, soon to marry Senor Amor, was talking to me about her wedding tabletop, she described to me a tiki-ish Polynesian themed event to take place in a man-made resort where fan dancing and wicked fun would rein. As we discussed what to do with her flowers, for some reason the vision of a volcano popped up in my head. "I'll make papier mâche volcanoes, and you can put red and orange flowers spewing out of the top." Maybe it was the morning caffeine talking or the jet lag between New York and LA, but no sooner than I said it, I was committed to creating these "lava-flower-spewing" constructions.
I had never made a papier mâche volcano before, but before I knew it, I found myself cutting down plastic water bottles into 8-inch towers, dipping strips of newspaper in a watered down Elmers Glue solution, and draping them from the top of the bottle to the cardboard base.
I used a hairdryer to set my form and then applied a coat of raw sienna acrylic paint, followed by stripes of burnt sienna. I once again looked to the hairdryer to speed up the setting process, which also caused the surface to contract and stretch, thereby creating natural looking crevices.
So far, the results look good. Jonona liked the form, but thought my paint job looked "bacony." I can see what she means, so I'll sponge a coat of burnt umber on to bring it down. I'll show you how my project progresses.
Check out the fabulous Amors of Jonamor Decor here.
For more thrifty decorating and entertaining tips, pick up The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating With Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details atBorders, Barnes & Noble,Amazon or Powell's.
Hot lava.....wooooooo!
The Elegant Thrifter -- Always Frugal, Always Fabulous!
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