Plaster Casters

This one is really fun. It takes time, but I enjoy it. It is better for older children, but you could do it with younger children, too. It takes a lot of patience to do this, so you may want to consider getting another adult to help. It is a great family activity!

(these are two of my Beatrix Potter plaster figurines I made)
The first one (left) I already painted. The second one (right) is unpainted. 

What you need:

• plaster of paris (get it at your local crafting store)
• latex plaster molds (I used Beatrix Potter characters, you can get them off eBay sometimes.)
• dish soap
• a bucket
• cardboard
• paintbrushes
• paint (acrylic works best)
• an adult
• lots of time

What you do:
1. Set up your bucket on a flat surface.
2. Cut a hole on the cardboard. Make it big enough so your plaster mold can go through, but small enough the plaster mold can hang upside down on its own.
3. Look at your plaster of paris, and follow its directions to make the plaster. Make it in a bowl, glass works best. Try to avoid bubbles.
4. let the child hold the top of the plaster mold as the adult slowly pours the plaster in about 1/3 of the way. pick the mold up and squish it all around to get the plaster into the smaller parts. Put it back.
5. Fill the mold another 3rd, and squish.
6. fill it all the way, adding a little extra to make a small base (fill it a little more then over the cardboard hole)
7. let your child hold the edges of the mold, holding it so that the base is nice and round. Hold it until the plaster sets enough that it will stay hanging on its own.
8. wait anywhere from an hour to a day. Feel it, and if it is hard enough, you take the latex mold out of the cardboard hole, get the outside wet, and rub a little bit of dish soap on the latex. Slowly peel it back and get your child to hold the plaster while you peel. Pull gently.
9. put it somewhere to dry more, or just get started painting it!
10. It works really well to glue some felt to the bottom, just for looks and it prevents scratching.

Clean-up

• To clean the plaster out of the bowl you used, let it dry. then use a fork or something to crack it, and then remove it and throw the hard plaster away.
• Or, you can wipe it clean with a paper towel.
• NEVER rinse plaster down the drain. It will harden and clog the pipe.
• right side out the latex mold, dry and put it away for use again and again!