Paper Mache/Giant Squid Project

Does it have to stand? My suggestion would be to hang it and have the legs made out of fabric instead of paper mache. Just a thought.

We made a giant dinosaur in my son's preschool out of paper mache. We used chicken wire to make the basic form. Then just a general paper mache recipe which was 3/4 white glue to 1/4 water and strips of newspaper. It came out great. The kids all helped to paper mache it and then paint it afterwards.

Wow, is there any way you can share a pic when it's done? ;-)
I would use coat hangers to shape/support the legs. You could use a rolling clothes rack and suspend it from that if the legs didn't want to hold up all the weight. Tie blue and green streamers to disguise the rack and look like water, even.
Sounds like a fun project!

Use a balloon, blow it up to the size you want, take newspaper strips, moisten them in a mix of flour & water (makes good paste!) & lay the strips onto the balloon & let dry...leave an opening at the bottom to pop the balloon once it dries. Once dried, pop the balloon & remove it; you can then spray paint the form whatever color you want (spray paint is faster then brushing it on), paint on eyes (you may wanna use a brush for that); this will take care of the head part but it may come out looking more like an octopus so you also may wanna just stick w/chicken wire for the whole thing so you can shape it to look like a squid. As for the tenticles, I'd use chicken wire & paste on the paper strips just like you did for the head only you don't need a balloon for this, unless you just wanna try to find elongated balloons (like clowns use for balloon animals) but I think chicken wire would be less hassle. It's thin & easy to wk with. You should use wire cutters, not scissors to cut it though. You can also get craft wire or use bread ties/trash bag ties to tie the wire together if you strip the paper coating off, it'd look better IMO for that. Hope this helps & good luck!

I always just used Elmer's glue and water paste and then shredded newspaper dipped in it. For the legs--coat hanger wire. I've used chicken wire before as well to make my frame and then mached over it. Turned out very well.

This reminds me of my card box from my wedding.

My friend made a BOXER DOG that looked like ours. It was sooooo heavy I have no idea what she used. Concrete?

We had it for a long time in our house UNTIL I made the mistake of moving it near a window. Well an open window left open during a summer thunderstorm and paper mache DON'T mix! That was a sad day when we had to drag "Bo" out to the trash. :(

I'd Google paper mache making for guidance on this one...

I would use a cardoard box. Thake the box apart and cut it and fold it to make it look like a aquid and then poke a wire hanger through the bottom on the tentile arms for support.

sorry, I'm NO help on this one! Our last paper mache project was so strong that my DH had to use a real bat to break it open.....& that was with it lying on the ground! The kids were so excited about how he had to attack the turtle.....omg! What a memory.....

Any type of craft makes my stomach churn, but my first thought was--a squid has no skeleton---can it lie on it's side?

you could lay the giant squid on its side like its swiming.
then the legs only have to support thier own weight.
use a baloon for body of squid to keep it light and paper mache over ballooon.
elmers is good, also seem to rememner u can use wallpaper paste/glue.
rememner to go slow with ur layers or it will not dry.

Does it have to stand? I would make it to lay on its side with tentacles opened so you can see its beak mouth.