Papier Mache craft of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, which is known for its natural beauty, is also known for many handicrafts. Who doesn't know about Kashmiri embroidery? Most of us wish to own a Kasmiri carpet. If we observe all the handicrafts of Kashmir, they are  done , using very delicate designs. Another such handicraft of India, is Papier Mache work.

I could collect some pictures of papier mache work , when I visited a handicrafts exhibition.The manufacturer explained about how they make  different products using papier mache. 

Different products of Papier Mache

The process of making Papier Mache:

Normally they use fine sheets of wood, from a kind of pine tree. And some use old papers too. These are made into pulp, by soaking in water and some chemicals for 4-5 days and grinding it. The pulp is molded into different shapes. And painted with natural colors . Earlier days, the golden color was made with real gold powder. Now they use acrylic and natural colors.

Here are two kinds of paintings. One with single color and another with different colors. The paintings which made with different color is very difficult to make and looks beautiful too.

Papier mache in single color and different colors.

Though papier mache was used to make boxes and pen stands, now the manufacturers make different decorative products. I could click photos of some :

Different products of papier mache

Small house boat model made of papier mache

pen stand and a box 

As any other handicrafts of Kashmir, papier mache also has very intricate work and design. I wish to see the complete process of making this , whenever I visit Kashmir.

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

A journal making to store design papers

I have many designs on papers, like embroidery designs, dress designs etc. I had kept those in a normal paper folder. Artist in me was not satisfied with the plain paper folder. To make it interesting , I thought of decorating the folder to keep all the designs. I haven't used any special technique, just went on doing whatever came in my mind. :)
 It is a folder made of cardboard, I stuck cloth all over the folder. On the cloth, glues some wet tissue.

Folder with wet tissue glued on it

Once the tissue dried applied , light blue and dark blue paint on it.

After application of paint

On the front attached wooden embellishment and painted it with golden color:

With wooden embellishment 

Back of the folder with a lock embellishment :

The folder looks better rather than plain folder to store my designs.

Coming up with embroidery projects soon. Keep an eye on my blog:)

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Use Of Paper Mache Craft For Daily Use And House Decoration

(Guest post by : Ashutosh- Owner  of online handicraft store  www.CraftsandLooms.com)

Paper mache or papier mache is an easy to make art that is used for creating daily utility products and for house decoration as well. Paper mache is created with a combination of paper, water and some other products and it is used for making various objects like house decoration products, key holders, trays, ornaments etc. Paper mache products are designed by skilled artisans with the utilization of waste paper. Vibrant colors are applied to these objects and various shapes are given. Paper mache items look beautiful and they are considered to be great gifting options. 

Some of the products which are too good for gifting :

Buddha statue made of Paper Mache

Jewellery Box made of Paper mache

Jewellery box made of Paper Mache

The artisans make sure that every paper mache item has a great finish, it looks attractive and it comprises of creative use of waste paper. The best way of buying paper mache items is buying them online.  Beautiful key holders and showpieces are available that can serve the utility purpose and they also look great in your house. Paper mache is also an environmentally friendly option for your house instead of using house decoration products made from plastics and composites.

All the paper mache products are delicate and decorative and they depict the artistic zeal and craftsmanship of the artisans. These products can also be used for house decoration for various festivals. 

The Making of Paper Mache products

 The process of making paper mache products is simple but it involves a lot of time because detailed work has to be done on these products to make them durable and beautiful. Creation of paper mache products involves two important steps : ‘sakhtsazi’ (actual production of the products) and ‘naqashi’ (the process of painting the product). The traditional Kashmiri method of making paper mache products starts with soaking waste paper in water for many days until it is disintegrated. After some days, the excess water is drained out from the soaked paper and it is mixed with rice straw, cloth and bonding agents in order to create a pulp. This mixture is then poured into a mould and it is left to set for two or three days. When the mixture is ready, it is cut into two halves and it is glued back again. After this, the base color is applied and it is ready for the artist to paint.

The designs on the paper mache products are printed with a free hand and this is the main reason why they look so explicit. Vibrant colors add to the beauty of the product. At times, metallic paint is used on the paper mache products that provides with an illuminated feel. 

Some unique designs in paper-mache

The paper mache artisans transform a wide range of utility articles into beautiful and magnificent pieces of art. You will be amazed with the way even a simple paper mache key holder adds glory to your house. Paper mache is a unique handmade product that is available at cheap prices and that provides an authentic look to your house. 

 Any handicraft lover would own at least one paper-mache product. You can buy these  online store :

Paper-Mache products

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Kumkuma Bharani- with Peacock design

I've shared about my collection of Kumkuma Bharanis( Container to store Vermilion) in previous posts:
My collection of Kumkuma Baharanis
Some more Kumkuma Bharanis
Paper Mache Kumkuma Bharanis

One of my friends,  gave me a Kumkuma Bharani-made of paper mache , which she bought from Kashmir. My collection is increased :-)
Here it is:

 

I have some Kumkuma Bharanis, with Peacock design. The below one is made of Silver, with Peacock shaped handle on it.

Another Peacock shaped Kumkuma Bharani. This is also made of metal, and painted with blue color.

And it can be opened by sliding the upper part. It has 2 compartments, for Haldi( Turmeric powder) and Kumkuma( Vermilion ).

The below one, I like the most. It has very nice design with Kundan attached . This I had bought from a craftsman from Nagpur( Maharastra)

It has a lid and two compartments.

The next one is wooden , in Peacock shape. 

It has sliding lid and two compartments.

                Aren't these worth collecting?

I have completed Kutch work on salwar top, tatted some motifs , enthusiastic  to take you through a craft street ....so many more to share with you in coming posts. 

-Until then

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Paper Mache Kumkuma Bharanis

I have shared about my collection of Kumkuma Bharanis ( Container to store Vermilion) in  previous posts :

My collection of Kumkuma Baharanis 

Some more Kumkuma Bharanis

In this post sharing about Kumkuma Bharanis made of Paper Mache . Paper mache is craft which is very famous in Jammu & Kashmir . I had bought these in a Craft exhibition from a Kasmiri Craftsman.

Below one is Flower shaped, with very delicate paintings on the lid:

The Below one is Egg shaped, again with very intricate design on it.

The below one is, Tortoise shaped. Very cute one!

                                                           

                                                         Another view:

Hope you  liked them.

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana