A few years ago, I had great fun creating some great big clouds out of paper mache to be hung at the entrance to The Farm Chicks Fair. But before we got them to The Farm Chicks Fair, we had fun with them at home. The boys thought they made cool photo ops.
But how do you make a cloud?
It’s actually pretty easy, as long as you have some time and a bit of patience as you create this large paper mache creation. A cloud!
To start, cover your work surface with a big sheet. Tape as many blown-up white balloons together as you like, to form your perfect cloud shape.
Next, mix up a big batch paste of water and flour and whisk until smooth.
Gather up lots of newspaper or newsprint paper and tear into thick shreds (3″-6″). Dip shreds into the paste, removing excess paste as you lift from bowl, and smooth all over the balloons, until they are fully covered.
Allow to dry completely. (This can take up to 24 hours).
Next, cover the clouds with pillow stuffing (polyester fiber). To do so, use a spray adhesive, and spray little sections at a time, and adhere little bunch by bunch of the stuffing. Repeat, again and again, until the cloud is all covered.
And just like that, a cloud is born.
Image from The Farm Chicks Fair, by Christina G. Photography
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
MORE POSTS LIKE THIS
Natural Holiday Tablescape
Tablescapes add such a nice, warming touch to your home during the holidays. This year I decided to go with simple natural elements (greenery, fruit, and nuts) that are really pretty when gathered together. Best of all, it was really simple and inexpensive to create.I...
Festive Kitchen Christmas Tree
Decorating the kitchen with a small Christmas tree adds an extra bit of holiday cheer to your home. To continue my gingerbread theme this year, I made mini gingerbread houses and tiny stars for the ornaments and strung fresh cranberries as a garland. To finish it all...
How to Make a Fuller Garland
I love the tradition of placing a garland around the front door and I've discovered that I can make it much fuller by adding more elements to the garland once it's hung. I'll show you how! The first step is hanging the garland. I don't want to place any nail holes on...
COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
Greetings Serena: Looks like a pretty easy solution to clouds I need to make to place around the pedestal of a statue. Only thing is, this statue, although covered, will be outside. Would you think I could spray these clouds with something to give them a hardness, water-resistant if possible?
Thanks in advance for any advice/guidance.
Ed in Tampa
Hi, did you pop the balloons one paper dried
I would love to do this for my sister’s baby shower can I make this in advance? Will the cloud hold its shape with the paper mache even if the balloons deflate? Thanks so much!
How did you hang them?
With fishing line as described in the post.