So I made a few papier mache sculptures of African ladies and I used non-acidic paper and tissue, flour and water paste, aluminum foil and wire for the armature, covered the pm in a thin layer of plaster to smooth it out, and I painted over it with acrylics and then sealed it and it also has decorations like glass beads and stone and boneAnd I let it dry good at each stageI like them alot and want them to last for all my life, I'm 16, will they? How long would they last? Is there any way I can make papier mache last longer?
I've just recently given away a mask that I made about ten+ years agoI used news paper and corrugated cardboard to construct the mask,both with high acid pHThe inside and outside were both coated with acrylic paintAnd for the most part the mask is in fairly good condition only suffering from being handled over timeBesides acid levels in the paper probably the biggest concerns would be moisture and insectsAluminum foil should not be of any concernI also have a small dinosaur that someone gave to me probably close to being twenty years old that was made using solid papier mache in pulp formIt was never painted or sealed with anything,collected dust over the years rarely cleaned and has held up very wellIf your sculptures are handled with care I don't see why they would not last.I hope that you enjoy them for many years to come
350 degrees-yes longer than 30 minutes-no
