Cool Plaster Texture with Hot Glue & Reusable Molds!

Hi friends! I am a big believer in playing with your art supplies and enjoying the process. Sometimes a project doesn’t come out as good as you would like but there is always something you can learn from it! I think we are afraid to “waste” our supplies so we admire them on a shelf but if you do that for too long you will start to feel badly that you haven’t used the things you bought and that feels wasteful too. Grab those precious supplies and play with them! You either succeed or you learn! I did a bit of both today:)

I love knowing how to use the reusable mold making product (win!) so I will be able to cast replicas the next time I find a one-of-a-kind treasure and I adore the faux plaster effect I got by spackling the hot glue! I love that I can give a plaster/stone look to anything I like now! I have to admit I am not crazy about the plant pot I decorated as a whole but the techniques I discovered were worth the play! Watch the video to see it all come together!

You can find the supplies I used  from our sponsor Smart Art!

THE SUPPLIES in the MAY Smart Art Box

• COMPOSIMOLD ORIGINAL 6OZ-When melted this molding material is 100% reusable. Many casts can be made using the same mold. It is a great material for artists who want to learn and become more involved in sculpting, modeling and mold making without the worry of mistakes or wasting material. This flexible, rubbery thermoplastic is great for small mold parts that require a stiffer mold making material. It is compatible with many different casting materials including clays, plaster, cement, epoxy, polyurethane and many others.
• COMPOSISTONE 1LBComposiStone is light gray in color, harder than plaster and smoother than cement. Mixes 2 1/2 powder:1 water (by volume), with a 5-10 minute working time. Use ComposiStone for lawn and shelf ornaments, sculptures, craft parts, and other general applications.
• CRAFTER’S ACRYLIC PAINT BLACK This non-toxic acrylic paint is ideal for simple base coating and craft projects. Designed to brush out smoothly and evenly, it covers in one or two coats and can be intermixed. This fast-drying, permanent paint can be used for general arts and crafts, stenciling, ceramics, school projects, home decorating and decorative painting.
• DAZZLING METALLICS ACRYLIC COLORS 4- 2OZ BOTTLES Made with finely ground metal flakes, these bright, water-based, non-toxic acrylic colors are ideal for adding metallic accents to most projects. They can be used on wood, canvas, plaster, metal, resins, ceramic bisque, papier-mache, Styrofoam, paper, poster board frames, lamps, vases, figurines, candles, candle holders and fabric. Great for painting, sponging, faux finishing, and adding metallic accents to art, craft and home decor projects.
• PRINCETON ARTIST BRUSH CO. SELECT ARTISTE BRUSH SET 3PCS Princeton’s Select Artiste mixed-media brush sets feature a variety of assortments of brushes that work well together. Specially designed by artist Willow Wolfe, these high quality, short-handled brushes are made to last. With their robin’s egg blue colored handles, they will be a beautiful addition to your existing brush collection as they go above and beyond basic brush shapes and sizes.
• PRIMA MARKETING RESIN OWL Use this detailed resin owl to create a mold using the ComposiMold materials. Create many castings to use as a variety of decorations such as charms, ornaments, or mixed media pieces.

**** I did not use the owl mold, I used checkers but you can mold anything you like. I also used hot glue and a plant pot as well as a spatula from the encaustic smart art box.

Need a variation?

It just occurred to me that you could use kraft paper dipped in paper mache paste to cover an object to get the wrinkly plaster texture, let dry completely and paint black as we did with the hot glue texture and then dry brush the metallics. That would be a great solution to get that look on a large surface or if you are working with children and don’t want to use hot glue. The only downside would be drying time and potential warping if you were working on a paper/cardboard surface like a paper mache box of journal cover.

There are so many ways to create! The next time you sit down to craft try not to focus on the end result and just enjoy the process! That is why we create! We could always buy something pretty from the store (probably for less than we spend to make it even) if that is all we wanted but there is something magical in creating something new with our hands and hearts, don’t you think? Til next time happy crafting!

 

 

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How to Make a Jute Plant Hanger {Gettin’ my 70’s Groove On!}

Hi Friends! The other night my husband asked me if I could whip up a plant hanger for our thriving spider plant. We have a large bay window in our living room that is covered with happy plants (well, they are all happy except the orchid-the only plant I am responsible for- which lives in constant fear) and we have run out of room on the windowsill. I never learned the art of macrame and I am quite lazy so I decided to come up with a quick technique for making a plant hanger that only takes about 10 minutes. Watch the video to see how.

I used Jute Cord and Floral Wire from Papermart to make this. You will also need scissors, wire cutters and a yard stick.

Directions:

1. Begin by cutting three 6 foot pieces of brown cord and three 6 foot pieces of green cord. Bundle the cord lengths together and tie a knot in the middle so you end up with twelve 3 foot long ends. (*note, if you want a hanger with a tassel on the bottom cut the cords in half to 3 foot lengths and tie all of the cords together 3″ from the end in an overhand knot.)
2. Divide the cored in groups of 3 and braid those strands together for 3″. Place your plant pot on top and divide the strands and knot between the braids. Repeat this technique until you have made a net around the pot.
3. Gather the cords and divide in half and tie together over the pot.
4. If desired wrap above the knot with floral wire.
5. Now you can cut off the extra cording over the wire and if you have enough left tie 4 strands together with an overhand knot to make a hanging loop. If you do not have enough cord left for a loop simply trim it all neatly above the wire and add a string or ribbon under the main knot for hanging.

Then you can hang that plant with pride! Here is something else to feel good about, spider plants are excellent for cleaning the air, they even sent them up in the space shuttle to keep the air clean and fresh. If it’s good enough for NASA it’s good enough for me!

I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past, yet very useful, project and til next time happy crafting!