It's not difficult, just a little time-consuming.

You can use a low-quality paper like newspaper or a high-quality one like 100% cotton. Your end-result should probably be your guide here.

There are two ways to break down the fibers, tearing them up and cooking them, or tearing them up and soaking/liquifying them.

Cooking:  shred or tear your paper and soak overnight.  Then put the pot on the stove and heat it up and stir until the pulp is mostly broken down.

Soaking/liquifying: shred or tear your paper and soak overnight. Use a blender (liquifier) to break down the fibers.  Be aware that you must use quite a bit of water this way, as blenders are intended for liquids, not solids.  Causing too much drag on the motor due to too little liquid will burn out the motor.  It's best not to use your kitchen blender, get one from a thrift shop.

Strain the pulp through a wire sieve, or piece of window screening formed into a cone (let cooked pulp cool).  The water will still contain fibers, so it's best not to dump the water down the drain, put it in the garden where it will break down easily in the soil.

You can add your adhesive to the pulp you intend to use right away, and continue with your project. 

If you have leftover pulp, spread it out on a piece of window screening (as a sheet or small lumps) and let it dry, in the sun or in front of a fan.  When completely dry, seal in a plastic bag for future use (just add water).

Using small molds for solid objects shouldn't take an excessively long time to dry, but make sure they ARE dry before you decorate them, or mold will form inside.  They should be almost weightless.

Using large molds for solid objects is trickier, as the bulk takes a very long time to dry.  It might be better to build it up in layers, letting each layer dry well.  Mold is the enemy with papier mache.

Good luck with your projects!

Sue

Hi,
I often use acrylic moulds or plastic moulds for plaster etc. I did it with self-made pulp and with papier-maché-mass made of isofloc. It works really great.

If you´ve got questions, contact me - christina.detmers@papierzirkus.de

best regards,
Christina