Paper Mache Collegiate Logo

Most dorm rooms are bare, empty, and definitely need a design makeover. To get started and get rid of that emptiness, you need a game plan to create the perfect oasis of collegiate bliss and the accessories to showcase your personal flair.

At college, I chose to show my school spirit through my dorm decor. Anything red-and-white, covered with Bucky Badger, or contributed to the Wisconsin theme was be added to my design checklist.

For the accessories...

I decided to create a paper mache Wisconsin logo for my dorm room since I love the Badgers and love making DIY projects!

Here are the instructions to making your own Paper Mache Collegiate Logo:

Supplies
Masking tape
Ruler
Pencil
2-3 sheets of Foam cord
Razor blade
Paper Mache
Strips of paper (I used old pages from my 2012 Wisconsin Desktop Calendar)
Assorted paints (White for the base coat and the colors for your college team)
Foam brushes
Semi-gloss Polyurethane paint

Instructions
1. Find a picture of your collegiate logo on Google Images and print out a copy. Use Photoshop to enlarge the image to the size you want your logo to be.

 

2. After you print out your image, trace it onto your two sheets of foam cord. Use a razor blade to cut out the logos. With the remaining pieces of foam cord, cut out long and short rectangles that are all the same width. Tape these pieces outlining the foam cord. They will be used to support the middle (sandwich part) of the logo when you paper mache.

3. Tape the two logo foam cord pieces together and now your ready to paper mache.

Paper Mache Recipe (Makes about 1/2 of an 8 oz Cool Whip container full)
1 c flour
1 c water
1 tbsp salt

Mix ingredients together in a bowl until the paste resembles a syrup-like texture.

4. Dip paper strips into your paste and attach onto your collegiate logo. After you complete one layer of paper mache, let your logo dry for a day or two. Once it's dry, complete a second layer and focus more on the spots you missed in the first layer that need to be covered. Let your logo dry again.

5. When the collegiate logo is dry, paint a white base coat. Be sure to paint two layers of this as well, to cover up the prints on the paper from before.

6. Next step is to paint your collegiate colors on the logo. Once again, paint one layer and let it dry, and then paint a second layer.

7. Once the paint is dry, finally cover the collegiate logo in semi-gloss polyurethane finish for the last two coats.

And there you have it, a Paper Mache Collegiate Logo!

Go Badgers!