Best Mold Ever - a Cheese Cake Pan!

Leah Fried
by Leah Fried
8 Materials
$5
4 Hours
Medium
My grandad, who just turned 98 has to move his apartment. This move is so hard for him... he has to pack his whole life from the last 50 years into boxes and make decisions about what to keep and what to give away. So, a few days ago he called me and asked me if I would like to keep the plaster coins he has on the living room wall. I remember these coins ever since I was a child, hanging above the sofa with a soft light from the light fixtures on each side. Of course I said I will keep them and my husband came later, took them down carefully and hang them in our home.

Ever since I was a child, whenever I saw something that was handmade, especially if it was crafted, I always wondered if I can do it to on my own.
So after hanging these coins in my home, this question "can I do this too?" came up and the answer was obviously "If you won't try you'll never know".

So I started to think it through. I looked for different ideas and here's the tutorial for the plaster coins I would like to share with you:
Step 1: Take a cheese cake pan and stick the clay to the pan. You should wet your hands while doing it since the clay gets dry very quickly
Step 2: Make sure the clay reaches everywhere- don't forget to cover also the pan's sides
Step 3: Take a pencil and carve in the clay the designs you had in mind
Step 4: Make sure the carving is deep enough, but on the other hand that it doesn't cause holes in the clay
Step 5: Make sure the carving is clean, with no clay crumbs that would block the mold
Step 6: Create the plaster mix - add 2 cups of plaster for every cup of water
Step 6: Mix the plaster with water and add some synthetic fiber
Step 7: Go over the clay with some oil to make sure clay doesn't stick to the plaster
Step 8: Pour the plaster into the cheese cake pan
Step 9: Place gently a hanger into the clay once it starts drying. The clay gets very warm while drying. Wait until it cools and make sure it feels hard (this should take about an hour)
Step 10: Turn the pan upside down and remove the plaster from the clay. This part is so exciting I must say!
Step 11: Let it dry for a while - just to make sure...
Step 12: Hang it on the wall. That's it!
You can also spray it with gold or paint it. I just liked the natural look for this leaf pattern
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  • DC DC on Nov 08, 2019

    Yes, please, loving to catch a glimpse of your grandfather's coins that inspired you. Glad you have those cherished memories. Best wishes to your grandfather on his life changing move.

  • Leslie Leslie on Apr 17, 2021

    LOL 4 years later and the originator of this still hasn't answered any questions. I see too many posts where this happens. There are many people new to DIY, crafting and artistry and when one posts a tutorial that is not complete it behooves that person to answer questions or to update the material.

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