Paper Maché Death Star

Walking down the sidewalk I once came across this transparent plastic sphere. I scooped it up into my arms and took it home hoping to use it for some fun project. And that day came when I was asked to make a death star (from star wars) for a little friend.

Materials

- a plastic sphere (a "wine bladder")

- plastic wrap for food

- Newspaper

- Flour and water glue

- PVA glue

- paint white, black, blue and yellow

- brushes

- masking tape

+skewer and fluorescent paint

1.- The first thing I did was cover the sphere with plastic wrap, so that I could later remove the papier-mâché and only use it as a mold.
Then I made the glue by mixing flour and water in a metal pot and put it to heat on the stove until it thickens.

I used this mix to paste together pieces of newspaper in layer, several layers... using a brush.

I let the sphere dry for several days and repeated the process again.

2. Once dry and very hard, cut the sphere lengthwise with a knife and make some marks where I should join the parts later. I was very careful with the "neck" of the sphere.

you can use masking tape or scotch tape

Once the plastic sphere mold is used, I can save it for other projects like an astronaut helmet.

3. I joined both parts with tape taking into account the marks I made so that the parts coincide. Then I covered everything again with more newspaper and the flour and water paste.

I also mark a better circle for the window and bent a wire as a hanger

I let dry

4. For the "window" I use of the hollow space on the plastic sphere.

I cut out a circle and strips of thin cardboard. I stapled them together, and glued them into "the window hole".

I covered everything with newspaper and glue.

5. Once is ultra dry, I painted the paper sphere with a mix of black and white paint to achieve a light gray. Then I cut very thin pieces of masking tape and put them on the paper sphere to make the "death star" separation

- I made the vertical lines first and then the horizontal ones, then i divided the spaces using more masking tape.

6. To paint the windows I mixed white + black and blue paint on a flat surface and painted the sphere covered with masking tape with all the mixture at the same time . By painting with all the shades at once, depth is achieved.

- For the window, I added a bit of yellow paint to the mix to give it more light. I also put some yellow strokes for shineness in random parts of the sphere. And painted the black lines with a fine brush

- then I added PVA glue mixed with water to make it shine.

i bought a bottle of fluorescent paint and painted little dots (I used a skewer) like little lights. It took me like an hour to paint all the dots... anyway.

that's it.