[Homestead] Papier mache maskmaking

Tvoivozhd tvoivozd at infionline.net
Thu Aug 26 21:23:57 EDT 2004



http://www.dollsofindia.com/aboutdolls.php  (Note the section on papier 
mache products.  Papier mache is inordinately cheap, requiring only a 
mixer to convert paper and water to a pulp.  You can use a variety of 
binders, the strongest being a light infusion of water-soluble epoxy.

The chief expense is molds that allow excess water to drain off..  The 
molds represent your investment in artwork---placing papier mache in  
them is a mechanical process, a chimpanzee could do it.

One of the least complicated home businesses is to import products for 
resale, including papier mache products where the important design work 
has been done for you in products you would have difficulty envisioning 
in the first place since they reflect the culture of an obscure 
community like Kashmir.

Except for brass products and things like sari's, almost nothing from 
India makes its way into U.S. shops, no matter how unique and 
interesting they may be.

I once brought back from a trip to Taiwan, a wallpiece consisting of 
various native musical instruments in miniature---lovely appearance and 
excellent workmanship, very cheap.  I could have imported them and 
readily sold them to craft shops and flea market dealers, had not my 
thermoplastic valve manufacturing business consumed all my time.  It is 
best to do your own travel and investigation among native craftsmen, 
sometimes a small village of them, rather than utilize any of the 
middlemen who tend to siphon off too much of the profit margin.

Grandparents always try to spoil grandchildren with toys---frequently 
succeed, but toys (good toys) are consequently a hell  of a business.
Powells.com is a huge compendium of new and used books---always check 
them against e-Bay and Amazon for book bargains.  
http://www.powells.com/subsection/CraftsToyMaking.13.html

http://www.powells.com/subsection/CraftsWorldCrafts.html  (world crafts 
for greater variety)

http://www.my-ecoach.com/resources/masks/mask.html  (various African 
tribal masks)





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