Plaster of Paris Figurines

This is one of those craft that needs to be made at least one day in advance.

Items: Plaster of paris, silicone mould, a plastic measuring cup, plastic fork, bamboo skewer.

Method: Mix a ratio of 2 parts plaster and 1 part water in the measuring cup.

Mix throughly with the fork. Stir, don't beat. Mix in small batches as it hardens very fast.

Pour into the mould. Stream the mixture on one spot only when pouring it in. This is to reduce air bubbles from being trapped.

Shake the mould from side to side and use the skewer to scrap the sides to release trapped air bubbles. This has to be done immediately after the plaster has been poured in.

After about an hour, or when the mixture has harden, pop out the figurines and put it in a well ventilated place to dry throughly. I like to put it on a wire rack underneath the fan as it helps with the drying process.

There are many mediums and methods used to paint these figurines. But for Maya, I usually either give her Crayolla paint or tempera paint, with normal paint brushes and disposable plate as her palette. I hope the figurines are fully dried by tomorrow so Maya can paint on them!