My papier-mâché Christmas wish

Like everyone else in Manila, our home had at least one carabao and one giant red horse made of papier-mâché that we had bought at a Christmas bazaar.

At a Katutubo Bench pop-up early this year I came across a stall selling papier-mâché rabbits. They were there because of the Year of the Rabbit, of course, but the simple and unsophisticated design was reminiscent of those childhood horses and carabaos that got carried into the lives of our kids.

This was because my husband Roberto and I were dating; we would drive around Laguna de Bay, stopping at every town to see what each place was known for. It became a tradition.

Los Baños had D’Original Buko Pie and further down the road there were bougainvillea for sale at Bay. Liliw had nice cafes and pretty slippers, while Nagcarlan had its underground cemetery. Pagsanjan had an interesting welcome arch and we knew Lumban for the exquisite piña embroidery. Sta. Cruz was where one stopped to buy kesong puti.

But because of my papier-mâché memories, I loved Paete the most, both for the many papier-mâché stores back then and its beautiful church.

We later took our three young kids on the same road trip around the lake. They treasured their papier-mâché horse and carabao so much that to this day we still have them, already falling apart and missing ears. But we are unwilling to throw them away.

At a press con hosted by Atty. Amy Loste for Manila Art Fair, there was a lively panel discussion revolving around the general state of the local art industry. If we could wish for anything, what would it be?

I immediately thought of my papier-mâché rabbit from Katutubo and the disturbing news from the vendor that there were only three families left in Paete still working on this craft.

My wish, then, which I shared at the press con, was that the art of papier-mâché would live on.

Listening to my wish, art critic Laya Boquiren-Gonzalez hoped more Filipinos would “make a conscious effort to experience our destinations like you and your husband!”

She added, “It made me imagine a heritage trail that included natural, built heritage, and craft-making as intangible heritage.” 

Appreciating the crafts we discovered on our road trips was the first step in preserving my beloved papier-mâché rabbits.

The second input came from heritage architect Miko Manalo, who suggested that for our papier-mâché craft to move forward, it needed to move beyond carabaos and red horses. 

Much as my kids and I love these, a new generation is clearly not into these homey, unsophisticated designs.

“You can even make a door out of papier-mâché,” architect Miko noted.

I discovered that the one remaining large papier-mâché store in Paete has diversified to include popular Marvel characters, for example.

But then I realized the key to keeping papier-mâché alive was already with me because I learned to make it as a child. I could make my own wish come true, and I did.

You will need a mold, and you cover it well with cling wrap. Grease it just a little to make the papier-mâché easier to remove later on.

Make a paste by boiling one part cornstarch to four parts water. 

Tear newspapers into strips and wet them with water. Wring the newspapers dry and layer them on your mold, brushing paste in between. The more layers of newspaper and paste you have, the sturdier the finished product will be, but remember, it will take much longer to dry.

When your papier-mâché is dry after a couple of weeks, it’s time to paint!

I coated mine with two layers of acrylic as the base. I also used acrylic for the designs.

This papier-mâché project is a fun and inexpensive project to work on during the school holidays.

And I got my wish.