For a long time Mexican artists have been creating art made of paper and a mixture of flour, salt, and boiling water which when cooled, turns into a type of glue; it is called papier mache. The paper used to make masks and other type of art figures is newspaper. They mold the paper into shape by covering it with this natural glue called "engrudo." They add dozens of layers of paper covered with engrudo over the molded shape to give it resistance and sturdiness. Once dried the figure can be refined to give it sharp edges by grinding it with sand paper. Finally the figures are painted with bright colors.

English: Beaded female mask by the Cosio Carrillo family, featuring a stunning floral design on the crown. Blues and whites meld into each other as brighter colors accent the snowflake pattern. The artisans’ painstaking labor is evidenced in the intricate details of the beadwork, applied on a backing of papeir mache’. This piece is sure to imbue any space with positive energy.