Id like to make my own cement or plaster items but i need a mold made. Does anyone do that? I know you can go to the store and get a troll or a mushroom etc but i want to make my own out of some items i have and i just cant figure out how to do it. Has anyone made molds or had them made to make their own garden items?

Welcome couch83

Some here have used leaves believe it or not. I've not done any but I'm sure some of those that have will come along soon.

I don't have time at the moment but if you will look thorough the threads, I'm pretty sure you will find conversations on molds.

I used to make sand candles and sand bowls by scooping out wet sand in a design I liked, and then pouring in wax or cement and shaping it. It worked very well. I think there are companies that sell stepping stone molds. Check on Amazon.

@couch83 I make papercrete (shredded paper + Portland cement + Perlite) pots, fairy houses, and accessories like patios, walls, etc. I use discarded containers as molds to form the papercrete or just hand form them.

If you want to duplicate something like a troll doll, an ornate button, or tree bark, go to YouTube and search for making silicone molds. You can use 100% clear silicone caulk and soapy water (some add cornstarch too) to create wonderful molds. It's the least expensive material I've found yet.

Good luck and post pics of what you make!

Bev

I hope you show us some of your work

This is "Humble House", an example of the outdoor mini garden houses I create with recycled materials. It was made from painted papercrete that was formed over a plastic laundry detergent measuring cup then embellished with various recycled man-made and natural materials.


Front corner: acorn cup halves for door and window awnings, wooden fixed door, and stacked stone porch.

Rear corner: the big window "glass" was cut from a 2-ltr plastic soda bottle and is covered by a painted hardware cloth grille.

The balcony: formed with hand-cut stones, painted hardware cloth railing, optional hanging planter boxes with formed wire leaves and nail polish, and painted wooden shutter doors

Petite Patio: painted stone patio with mounted hardware cloth and nail polish chair and side table

Aha, I found one of the silicone caulk mold-making videos: https://youtu.be/0jFjaVuueEU

Adorable, Bev! I love your work. I'll have to look at that silicone link.

@plantmanager thank you for the kind words!

I just starting to play with the silicone mold-making myself, and I'm very impressed so far. I'm waiting impatiently for the weather to break to create some bark and stone molds for papercrete pots and lil tree-like fairy houses.

I just watched the mold youtube. I need to think about what I could mold to use in my mosaics. It looks like it's easy and fun to do. Thanks for posting it.

@plantmanager Yeah, it blows my mind with all that could be done with the silicone mixture! And it really is a lot of fun!

Yes, so many different things could be poured into the molds. There are tubes of metallic stuff that set up like metal.

Ooooh, really?! What's the name of the metallic stuff?

You can coat the molds with PearlX or glitter type eyeshadow powders before pouring in your casting material to create metallic-look castings...haven't tried it yet tho.

That is freaking awesome Bev - you do very beautiful work - WOW

Thank you so much for the link.

I thought it was just called 'Liquid Metal', but haven't found it yet. Here is something similar.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006O1ICY/

There are also a lot of metal powders that could be dusted into the mold first, and then another material poured in.

@Vic thank you so much for the kind words about Humble House, and you're welcome about the link.

@plantmanager I have some of the JB Weld and never thought of using it for casting...hmmm, may have to experiment a lil, lol. There's a bronze powder folks are using with resins and possibly polymer clay but it pricey. Also, there's metal clay that is also pricey and might need a kiln to bake it properly...not sure. Regardless, I'll definitely be experimenting with the molds and casting. It's just too much fun not to .

Long ago I did a lot of rubber stamping, and I still have all of the supplies. I think there were a lot of powders and inks that would work well for the molding too.

BTW, have any of you tried the IOD Moulds? IOD=Iron Orchid Design (I think). Some of the molds can be expensive but they're very sturdy with great detail. I got most of mine thru Amazon. I've been playing with those using air dry clay, paper clay, and resin. Their Facebook page of followers has posted some super inspiration photos of their creations.

I placed the castings over clear plastic ball ornaments:




I have a few recycled plastic pots ready for a few clay castings. My main goal was to create castings from papercrete to add to my pots. This is so exciting for me!

I'm really impressed, Bev. That ornament is wonderful! It really is fun to experiment and be creative. I need to get back to doing more of it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Thank you, plantmanager. I like to play/experiment and sometimes it even leads to something useful

@couch83, I hope some of what we posted is helpful to you (didn't mean to hijack your thread).

Y'all have a productive and creative Saturday. I need to get busy with the mundane chores.
Thanks again for all the sweet words.