You can easily make a nontoxic plaster mold in a home workshop or studio.
Plaster is an excellent material for sculpture, crafting and mold-making. It is easy to work with, it dries quickly and, using this method, it's nontoxic. Whether you want to make a nontoxic plaster mold for latex, wax or clay casting, you can complete the project in just a few hours, most of which is drying time, in a home workshop or art studio.
Instructions
1. Select an object to serve as the template for your mold. An oil-based clay sculpture works well, but you can use anything that is not fragile and that can be cleaned with water.
2. Lay a dropcloth down to protect your floor or work surface. Mix the plaster powder and water together in a large bucket. Add one part water to two parts plaster powder, and mix until no lumps remain. Firmly tap the sides of the bucket to release any trapped air bubbles from the mixture.
3. Cut 1-inch-thick strips of water-based clay, and squeeze the clay strips around the circumference of your molding object. Rub a thick layer of petroleum jelly onto one half of the divided object.
4. Paint a thin layer of plaster onto the half of the molding object that has been coated with jelly. Apply additional layers of plaster until the plaster has reached a thickness of approximately 3 inches. Allow the plaster to dry for two hours.
5. Remove the clay strips from the circumference of your molding object. Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly to the exposed half of the object. Coat the second half of the object with a thin layer of plaster, and add additional, thicker layers until the plaster has reached the same thickness as the first half. Allow the plaster to dry for two hours.
6. Place the point of a wooden wedge against the seam between the two halves of the plastered molding object. Gently tap the wedge into the seam with a hammer. Do not apply much force, or the mold may crack. When the mold opens along the seam, remove the molding object.
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