DINOSAUR Party Ideas - DIY dino theme decor & invitations - Paper Mache Recipe

I would like to mention this party was thrown way before Pinterest. Lol! So many fun ideas!
I'm starting to post my party ideas from WAY BACK! How far back, you ask?
 This one is 10 YEARS OLD!!!

This is PART 1 of my Dinosaur Party Ideas series. With so many details and ideas I couldn't cram it all in one post. 
PART 2 - DINOSAUR Party Ideas - GIANT Dino Eggs - FAVOR "box" & Dino Recycled Crayons
PART 3 - DINOSAUR Birthday Party Ideas - DIY Dino Dig - GIANT Fossil Sand Pit - lava cover - LOTS OF DECORATIONS 
PART 4 - DINOSAUR Birthday Party Ideas - DIY 3ft ERUPTING Volcano - Dino theme CAKE - Kids parties

Wow, look at my cute little babies!

I made shirts for them to wear at the party with their favorite dinosaur and dino name. 

Jake-a-saurs Rex & Troy-ceratops

For this party I made everything!!! I'm going to start with some paper mache dino party ideas.

I LOVE paper mache!!!  Possibilities are endless and super cheap to make! Here are some fun dinosaur invitations, feet holders, and bowl!

3D Dinosaur Party Decorations / Invitations
These were such a huge hit. Everyone asked the boys leading up to the party what to expect. The invitations set the stage!

PAPER MACHE RECIPE:
I have two recipes I like to use depending on the project.
1. 1/2 part white glue (Elmers) to 1/2 part water
or
2. 1 part flour to 5 parts water. Boil for 2-4 mins and stir until it starts to thicken. Let cool. Store in sealed container in the refrigerator. This one makes a lot and much cheaper.

I used the flour recipe for the feet since I was making several paper mache items at once.
I've also heard liquid starch and wallpaper glue work great too. Let me know if you have a recipe you like.
TIP: Add salt to your mixture to prevent molding

SUPPLIES:

Newspaper

Glue or Flour (depending on recipe)

Salt (optional)

Construction paper

Paint

Fan (optional)

Make a template and trace it on construction paper. I like that it helps absorb the liquid and seems to dry quicker. Start by tearing newspaper into little pieces (1" x 1" roughly) and dip into mixture. Remove excess and press together to make it a little bumpy. You may use smaller pieces to fill in the edges of the toes. It should have a little height on it to make it sturdy but not too thick or it will take longer to dry.

Once finished I placed them in the garage with a fan for the first few hours. Takes about a day or two to dry. Once completely dry you can paint! 

For the invitations I printed text on green cardstock paper and hot glued.

Super cute 3D party invitation!

I also used them for table decorations.

Paper Mache Dinosaur Feet Holders

These were great for silverware or straws or just another fun decoration.

To give you an idea how sturdy these holders are, I made them in 2007 and used them after this party for our yearly Halloween party for EIGHT YEARS!

SUPPLIES:

Empty soup can

Cardboard

Newspaper

Paper mache mixture

Hot glue (attach the base)

Paint

Fan (optional)

This was before the party. I don't have a picture of the table setup with themed food. :( I guess 10 years ago I didn't think I would need it for a blog post. :)

Paper Mache Dinosaur Cracked Egg Bowl

Same process above. I lined a mixing bowl with foil. I added the paper mache and made points around the edges to make it looked like a cracked dinosaur egg. Let it dry and painted with speckled spray paint. 

Found these dino gummies and the colors matched perfect!!!

Thank you for stopping by!