Paper Mache Recycle Bin: First Coat

Here's a craft to recycle Christmas paper by making a recycle bin with it.

You can find the other layers here:
Paper Mache Bin: Second Coat with Wide Strips of Newspaper (Update March 7, 2015)
Paper Mache Recycle Bin: Third Coat with Small Pieces of Torn Christmas Wrapping Paper (Update March 7, 2015)

Here's the finished bin:
Paper Mache Recycle Bin: Lettering (Update March 11, 2015)

I'm going to do this over three or four different posts, so this is only the beginning. What you see in the pictures here is the progress I made yesterday. Since it was difficult to cover the bottom, I'll do that later today because it is much easier to work with now that the sides are pretty dry. I may even wait until tomorrow to do the bottom because it is not absolutely bone dry yet.

This is the thing about this craft. It's work intensive, and family members tend to like to wait until the last coat to join in the decorating fun. If you can make a party of it, it could go pretty fast. It took me almost two hours yesterday to do most of the first coat (I still have to finish the bottom).

On the other hand, family members are looking forward to the finished product, so that's always a good sign. ; )

After I'm finished with with the very last coat using the wrapping paper, I'll use the white paper with "recycle" written on it ("Dry" is covered by the newspaper strips.) you see in the picture as a pattern for the label:

Dry Recycle

I'll cut out these letters, and Mod Podge them on to the side of the bin, Then I'll use one of the selections of wrapping paper that stands out to tear into little pieces and stick them over the letters. This what I have planned anyway. We'll see how it goes.

I'm hoping this craft will be a nice little container to carry paper, cardboard and plastic products out to be recycled. I'm designating it only for dry recyclables since I've chosen to use Mod Podge Matte-Mat-Mate with no other sealants. You could use white glue in the same way. It's less expensive and less smelly, but have good memories working with Mod Podge as a kid, so I thought I'd try it.

Materials for the recycle bin

Putting on the strips

Materials

• a doubled paper bag with handles
• torn up newspaper
• non-toxic Mod Podge or white glue and equal part water
• plastic container at least 4 inches in diameter to dip strips into the glue and water
• white paper
• marker

After mixing equal parts water and glue (or mod podge, dip the strips in one by one and smooth over the whole bag, inside and out, including handles.

First coat done

Put the bin aside to dry on a small pile of clean newspaper. No problem if newspaper sticks to the bottom because it is easy to tear it off or smooth it over with Mod Podge later.

When I was finished with the first coat, the container was very floppy. So as it dried, I adjusted it to the shape I wanted.

I'm estimating three coats of newspaper before applying the wrapping paper. It'll take about two days for the bin to dry between coats, and it seems the bottom needs to be done the day after that coat is applied. I wrapped some of the strips around to the bottom, but it is much easier today to fill in what I missed on the bottom yesterday. 

Update March 5, 2015
I finally put on the second layer of newspaper:
Paper Mache Recycle Bin: Second Coat with Wide Strips of Newspaper