Handmade Clown Wig

This morning, Big Snail proclaimed, "You can't be a clown without a wig!" I have been dying to do paper mache and knew this was the perfect opportunity to do it. If you are new to The Snail's Trail, we are currently studying the circus. [Click here to view the post on the clown mask]. Here is how we made our clown wig:

First, we found a bowl that was the perfect size for a little head.


Next, we tore newspaper into small strips. This is an excellent activity for Little Snail to build her fine motor skills.


Then we made the paper mache mixture. We used 1 part flour to 2 parts water and added in some salt.


Before we applied the newspaper strips, I coated the outside of the bowl with cooking spray. Vaseline would have been better, but we did not have any. After we made our paste, we dipped the newspaper strips into the paste and applied it in layers onto the bowl. We used a lot of newspaper.





We aren't very patient around here so we used the hairdryer to dry it. (I tried putting it in the microwave to dry it, but it just cooked the flour).


After it was dry, we painted it. We used a sample of interior house paint that we had. Just a side note....I *love* this color and was going to use it in our old house. If you love it too, it is Lowe's Valspar Earth Elements paint in Aqua Rapids. After we painted, we dried it with the hair dryer.




After it dried, we took the paper mache shape off the bowl. The last step is for a grown-up to do. I got out my ribbon scraps and hot glued them to the paper mache bowl shape.





And here is the final, super-cute, easy peasy, clown wig.


Big Snail loves his new clown wig. He may wear this and his mask to the Circus on Saturday. In the future, we will make this same type of paper mache wig when we study George Washington. We will use all white ribbons to make a white hair wig.

Want to make a wig like this but don't want to do the paper mache step? Hot glue ribbon to an old baseball cap.