Last night I made a papier mache snuffbox. Does anyone have any history on the papier mache boxes such as methods of construction? What would be a good enamel to seal it with that dries strong and odor free?

I have none of the answers you want, I just wanted to say that is really cool. Good work

krylon clear or rust-oleum .Follow directions. In the 18th century they just used Shellac made from beetle juice secretion & ethanol

@hgrissom thank you! It is my first papiier mache project since grade school art class! @basement_shaman thanks, I will have to try the shellac. Since I now know that I can make something decent out of papier mache, I will work on the mixtures until I get a good formula that I can do some fine shaping and sanding. It would be great to see papier mache boxes make a comeback. Do you know of any different styles? In my Google searches it is hard to distinguish which ones are made of papier mache.

A popular one was scallop shape, many are round with painted scenes, some are oblong. I did have a site booked marked for hinges but that was on my old computer that got zapped. I am sure there is a market for reproductions

@basement_shaman thanks for the great info. Were they friction fit or did they usually have hinged lids? Edit: just saw the part about the hinges.

i tried making a paper maiche box once, it didnt work out too well

I once met a furniture restorer for the Smithsonian, who was fixing up an early Victorian chair made from papier mache. If it was strong enough to support a person, on its slender legs no less, its limits may be few.

How did you make the papier mache? I’ve been trying to find the recipe for a while now with no luck. The original stuff wasn’t the basic paper-and-glue stuff kids make at school, it contained things like clay, rosin, shellac, even potato. It was a hard, moldable composite substance, more like MDF board than the stuff we usually think of as papier mache. If you have a good recipe, I’m very eager to learn it.

@doctorbeat I just used a simple mixture of flour, water, and toilet paper(new, not from restroom) mixed in the blender. It can be colored naturally by making a strong tea/coffee or flower teas with the water before mixing the flour and paper.

Krylon can dry rather tacky…be sure to use it on a low-humidity day and let it dry thoroughly between coats. Also, not sure how food safe it is (and I tend to think of snuff storage in terms of food). I wonder if a few coats of Mod Podge would do? I think it’s non-toxic. And I know that you can get it in gloss or matte finish. Just a thought.