Weekend Fun : How to make a plaster of paris

Weekend Fun: 

How to make a plaster of paris 

Try this at home and you can create either and beautiful hand/footprint keepsake or make some chalk.

Plaster of Paris can be purchased at any craft store, but it is incredibly easy to make at home if you are a DIY kind of person. In fact, there are only two main ingredients-flour and water.

Creating the Homemade Plaster of Paris

Measure and pour six cups of flour into a large mixing bowl. Add four cups of water and stir until no lumps of flour are present. This will take several minutes.

Substitutions

Ordinary white school glue can be substituted for the flour, but then the amount of water must be decreased to three cups.

Tips

The consistency of the homemade Plaster of Paris should be thick, but not to difficult to stir. If you feel the plaster is somewhat runny, add more flour. The opposite is also true. If the plaster is to hard to stir, add more water. Keep working at it until you get it just right.

Warnings

Creating your own plaster of paris for crafting can be quite messy. It is best to wear an art smock, and a pair of rubber gloves while working with the flour and water.

Crafts You can Make with the Homemade Plaster of Paris

Handprints: Pour the plaster in a disposable cake pan. When the plaster starts to harden a bit, press your child’s hand in the center of it. Lift your child’s hand straight up and out of the plaster. Wait for the plaster to dry completely before removing it from the cake pan.

Sidewalk chalk: Fill each space in an egg carton with your homemade plaster. Drip three drops of tempera paint into each space, and stir to combine. Set aside until the plaster hardens. Remove and use outside in the driveway, or on a nearby sidewalk.