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I want to make a three hearts that are big, medium & small that would fit inside eachother. They would be made by making a solid shape, wrapping it up, then slicing it open once dried, removing the crumpled form so the inside is hollow. What do you suppose would be the best way to slice through with minimal damage to the piece? Thanks! 
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This is quite tricky. Unfortunately paper naturally pulls and tears. It will depend upon how strong your laminate is. You can use a VERY sharp knife but avoid dragging. You don't have to cut all the way round. If you leave just a small part intact it can act as a hinge which makes re-joining easier.
I prefer to use a fine serrated knife or a marquetry saw. The edge will be slightly frayed but is easily cleaned up with a bit of sandpaper. Once re-joined and covered with more laminate, the cut should be invisible.
Please let us know how you get on.
DavidO
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My plan is to leave them open. The smallest one would be left alone, but the other two would only partially surround eachother, My plan was to insert a thin metal rod through the three horizontally at the middle so that they are still attached to eachother in a way that isn't noticeable, then hang it as an ornament. All three hearts would be visible at the same time. Another strip of paper would be used to cover over the exposed edges before painting.
Do you suppose using more than four layers would be best, to make it stronger and less susceptible to tear, or would making it thicker just make it more difficult to cut through at all? My plan was to use liquid starch as my 'paste'.
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I've never used liquid starch but someone else may be able to speak about its properties. I would suggest a mixture of wallpaper paste and PVA. Or, if you read the article on 'Which Paste to Use', CMC with PVA.
It depends what paper you use as far as strength is concerned. Do a trial piece at the same time, say 6"x6" so you can test it before cutting your hearts asunder. (Breaking them???)
DavidO
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How large do you intend these hearts to be? Do you really need complete hearts?
Do you have a friend with a Dremel MotoTool or something similiar?
I have a hard time cutting smoothly through papier mache. I think it is the multiple directions of the paper that thwarts me. When I want a hollow PM form, I try to make a thinner shell that is firm enough to hold its shape, cut it apart, remove the mold or form, and put it back together and add more layers of PM. But I don't know if this would work for your project.
The only other way I can think of is quite labor-intensive:
Make a strong heart out of PM, then mark where the cut edge will be, varnish it thoroughly, and use it as a mold. Wrap in plastic wrap/film and tape it in place, then apply PM to just half the form and let it dry thoroughly, and it should practically fall off the mold.
Sue
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I usually use a large, razor blade tool to cut my PM open (I think it's a Fisker brand if memory serves). On one occasion, for a larger piece, I actually had to use a hacksaw, as knives just weren't cutting it (pun intended).
Another approach I've had some luck with--if the form/interior you're using is soft, like crumpled paper--is to make an intial incision with a knife, just enough to get a scissor blade through, and then finish the cut with the scissors themselves. Scissors give pretty fine control and a clean edge, but if your form is hard/solid, you're not likely to have the maneuvering room/give needed for scissors to work properly. And, it should go without saying, the thicker your PM, the harder it'll be to cut through with scissors.
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Nice scissors tip! I never thought of that!
Sue
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While it is depletive, some use a soldering iron for carving/making cuts in thin stock.
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