Flour and water are the two primary bases for homemade paper mache. You can combine one part water and two parts flour in a large mixing bowl, and stir these two until they are the thickness of glue. Make sure to stir out any lumps from your mixture. For a different texture, you can add more water or flour to your mixture to thicken or thin your mixture. If you live in a high humidity area, you can add a few teaspoons of normal table salt to keep your paper mache from molding.
Newspaper makes an ideal paper for paper mache, because it is thin, easy to work with and able to hold just enough of your liquid mixture for you to apply it. Use scissors and cut at the folds of your newspaper. Cut the pages of your newspaper free and then again down each center fold. Stack each page on top of each other, and cut the stack into thin strips. Remember to dip your newspaper strips into your mixture and then run your fingers down each strip to remove the excess mixture. Newspapers are ideal because, while pliable, they are strong enough to stand up to this procedure.
You can include a few tablespoons of standard craft glue in your mixture. This will make your mixture thicker, but it will hold to your project much stronger. The downside to using glue is that your project will be more resistant to manipulation, such as moving pieces of paper into position as they dry.
A normal balloon is a quick and easy foundation for your paper mache project. Blow up your balloon, and tie the open end. Wrap your paper mache around your balloon, forming a rounded base. You can use this technique to create a head shaped foundation for your project. When you finish, and it dries, you can use a small pin to pop your balloon and remove it from your dried project.
You can add cinnamon to your flour and water mixture to sweeten the smell of your project. This helps if you do not like the smell of your mixture, especially if you decided to add glue to the mixture, which can give your paper mache a pungent scent. Additionally, you can substitute glue powder for craft glue, but you will need to add slightly more water to your mixture. Once your paper mache is dry, which usually takes two full days in normal humidity, you can paint your project using modeling paint.