The Very Hungry Caterpillar Papier Mache Party Decor

Isn't this guy just the coolest ever? A good friend came by Saturday afternoon and spent the evening with us to help make him for our VHC 1st birthday party. I asked my partner later if we should fill it with candy and allow the kids to beat him up but he said, "NO WAY! He's way too cool to destroy." Sooo...I guess our little guy is going to have a VHC bedroom soon? No idea---BUT I have seen this guy being used to decorate reading nooks in schools and libraries and I think I will probably reuse him in just that way for my own kids at home!

To make him, we just papier-mached 5 balloons with newspaper strips and allowed them to dry for a few hours. We cheated a bit and blow-dried a few just to get this project done in one evening. After allowing them to dry, we didn't pop the balloons right away because we still had to glue on the strips of colored tissue paper and keeping them filled helps to stabilize the structure as you rotate it.

I cut out the eyes, nose and ears from colored card stock and attached them with double-sided tape. Easy peasy. Doesn't he look like he's asking, "When's the party?" =) 

The last step is to hot glue the balloons together in the shape of the caterpillar. If I were to do this all over again, I'd glue them together before attaching the tissue paper strips. The strips were getting hot-glued together instead of the newspaper base so I had to remember to lift the tissue then apply hot glue. Very difficult to do and NOT burn myself and I did not emerge from this project unscathed! Luckily, I'm so used to being burned by hot glue that it wasn't a big deal for me but just for future reference, if I ever do a similar project, I will glue first THEN attach the tissue last!



I think he's going to be the highlight of the party- other than my son, of course! I'll be hanging him from our loft overlooking the living room so when guests walk in, they'll get an eyeful of him immediately. Great way to set the party mood! =)