There is a template you can download here.  And lots and lots of photos and instructions.  If you do make teacups I’d love to see and you can upload a photo here if you like or leave a link to your photo in the comment section below.

What you need:

• Click here to download the template
• paste –  I use golden harvest wheat paste ( wall paper paste)
• light cardboard – cereal or frozen pizza box is great and a bit of thicker cardboard for a base
• newspaper – it’s nice to have different colors
• scotch tape ( not the invisible gift wrap  stuff- the shiny sticky stuff)
• glue – elmers, glue stick, hot glue  - whatever you like
• pencil, scissors, exacto knife, and paint and brushes, glitter, fabric – whatever you’d like for decoration.

Click the photos for larger images.

Cut out the templates for the teacup, handle and bottom  and trace them onto your cardboard. I had the best results with a Kashi frozen pizza box.  Cut out your pieces and  very lightly and  gently score the the teacup where the dotted lines are on the template with the BACK of your exacto knife.

Make a very  tiny snip  - really tiny -just a 16th of an inch or so where the sections meet. Next bring the bottom sections together one at a time and tape together on the outside (the printed side). Then turn it over and taper the bottom inside.  Do this for each section – always taping both sides…….

When the bottom sections are all taped  join the top together and tape – inside and out.  Next  push the seams out from the inside and tape on both sides – go all around the teacup – shaping the seams with your fingers and taping both sides.

Tape in the bottom.  It should be looking pretty teacupish now. If you would like a base you can make a little ring of cardboard and tape it in place or trace the bottom onto some thicker cardboard  and cut it out just a little larger and glue or tape it to the bottom.

Your ready for paper mache!  I usually start with the bottom and one layer is fine  but you can do as many as you like.

You don’t have to paper mache the handle – you can paint it or glitter it  or something. If you do paper mache it use very tiny pieces of paper and curl it into  a handle shape before it dries.  I  tried something new on the black teacup above – painting paper mache while it’s wet  - and I like the effect. I used black newspaper and then black watercolor over the wet paper.

When your teacup has dried glue your handle in place and decorate  as you please. I painted a little ship on a stormy sea on one and I  like putting a dusting of mica or glitter  on the inside  - it’s fancy.

The End!

I hope you make teacups!