Model thatched cottages in Papier Maché

Papier maché is cheap, versatile and tough, so it is great for model buildings and rough stonework effects. I show how to create a couple of thatched cottages in 1:12 scale complete with roofs and windows.
The KZbin video I originally got the pulp recipe from is here:
• Easy Paper Mache Clay ...
You can also find a host of other great modelling ideas on the Ultimate Paper Maché channel.
Materials needed:
Thick cardboard
Papier maché pulp
Hot glue gun
Masking tape
A cheap rug (I used Hampen from IKEA)
Acrylic paints
PVA
Coarse Turf scenic scatter
I designed and 3D printed the windows and door frames. They are available to download for free from here: www.thingivers...
I also got fed up with my glue gun tipping over and never having glue sticks when I needed them. So I designed some stands, which will fit Bosch glue guns and also standard ones for either left or right handed people. They are available to download for free from here:
www.thingivers...
Texture rollers are also available to download from Thingiverse and other locations. The one I used is available here:
www.thingivers...
I scaled it to 150% to give a reasonable scale for 1:12 or 1:6, but it has quite rounded stones, more suitable for a stone path or lane.
There are others available with squarer stones, such as this:
www.thingivers...
You may have gathered that I am a fan of 3D printers as an extra tool for model work. Please have a look at my video here, which goes into more detail:
• 3D printing for Stop M...
These cottages have been designed as part of my stop motion film project “The Legend of Jan Tregeagle”. If you want to find out more:
Follow me on Facebook #OddPlanetStudios
And on Instagram at odd_planet_stopmo
Music is by Bryan Teoh on www.freePD.com and Kevin MacLeod on www.incompetech.com

[@aoife3571]

What an inspiring video. Amazing! Thank you!

[@EnlightenedFlamingo]

I absolutely adore this. So quaint & beautiful. So much character. Just lovely.

[@Sunshineheart124]

This is absolutely AMAZING!!! You are so so talented! Thank you So much for sharing your technique!

[@lukeboss]

Beautiful work!

[@barbarakaywhite5166]

I had no idea you could make something so cool from cardboard

[@2sons1lv]

Nice !!!!!! Such a great idea for the roof. !!

[@nancypatricio9972]

Those houses are beautiful, you have so much talent in your art. It was a lot of work.

[@davidcooley4848]

Great looking cottages! It's always a treat to find a tutorial that uses stuff you probably have on hand or is easily obtained rather than starting with "go out and spend a bucket full of cash".

[@oddplanetstudios6172]

Thank you. It is definitely possible to make some nice windows with bits of balsa or plastic or foam. 3D printing just makes it easier to do a lot of them, but tends to lose the quirkiness.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Thanks👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🌺

[@RooNelo]

Thanks for sharing this vid. I’ve been thinking of paper mache for the set pieces of my short film as well. Have you seen any downsides to using it? Such as potentially cracking over time?

[@oddplanetstudios6172]

Hi Roo. You can see that I am a fan of papier mache. Some of the sets in the video are several years old, and they are still going strong. You should know that when you are applying the pulp it can soften the cardboard to the extent that a big structure can sag if it is not adequately supported. I have added wood pieces in the past when I wanted a straight wall, but the easiest way is to apply the pulp to MDF. Sometimes I have needed to extend a wall or cut a doorway into it. The paper mache joins onto itself a treat. And it is really tough. Those cottages can be lifted by the chimneys! You can cover a piece in stages, one wall at a time, with no problems. This also helps with not getting the whole structure soggy at once! Another good use is for flagstones or cobbles on a set floor. I hope the video showed how important it is to get the pulp to 'skin' over - harden on the surface a bit, so that when you press e.g. a texture roller into it the material is not lifted off. You can only get this through experimenting and learning the material. But when it is set, the pulp is rock hard and can be drilled. With some of it I have even had difficulties sanding, it was that solid! It certainly doesn't crack over time, once it is hardened. Do have a look at the Ultimate Paper Mache videos by a charming American lady. She has good examples of using the stuff for quite big sculpts. Oh, and it dries very slowly, and shrinks a little, only significant if you are doing big lumps, in which case build it up in layers.

[@RooNelo]

@@oddplanetstudios6172 Apologies for the late reply, I never got a notification for some reason. Huge thank you for such a detailed response. I’ve made a note of it all.

[@oddplanetstudios6172]

Happy to help. Message me on FB or elsewhere if you want some specific questions answered.

[@louischvs9395]

wonderful! so inspiring!

[@elizabeths4371]

I think this tutorial was Brilliant❤🤩 and I'd love to try it on my own English cottage project.

[@jaimereynolds258]

Fantastic job!

[@louannmadden2906]

So cute!

[@toonybrain]

Lovely!

[@louischvs9395]

Is it possible to use something else instead of PVA and inseed oil?

[@oddplanetstudios6172]

I think the PVA is pretty much essential, but if you missed out the linseed oil it probably would not make much difference. I think it is there to make the pulp a bit more durable and smoother to work with. The PVA bonds the pulp to the substrate and adds flexibility. It is possible to make a Papier mache just using flour and water glue, but it is not very strong.

[@louischvs9395]

@@oddplanetstudios6172 ok thank you very much

[@louischvs9395]

@@oddplanetstudios6172 thank you a lot for your answer! I've found the PVA glue today! I wonder wether olive oil could work? I know nothing about linseed oil - rare and expensive here…

[@oddplanetstudios6172]

@@louischvs9395 Interesting, as olive oil is generally more expensive than linseed! If you can find artists' supplies for oil paints, they will have linseed oil. The difference is that linseed is a drying oil, whereas vegetable oils remain tacky. However, I am not sure this matters much with papier mache. I'll do a test and let you know, as I have a model on the go at the moment. I will be using sunflower oil rather than olive oil as it is cheaper and mentioned elsewhere as an alternative.

[@louischvs9395]

@@oddplanetstudios6172 thank you a lot!