Sometimes it’s just fun to play around and create for the pure joy of it — case in point this little concrete pear. When our blog was MIA a few weeks ago, I went into a total downer. And when this girl gets down, she goes shopping for food. Does anyone else do that? So while walking around our local store, I spied a plump, little green pear with the cutest butt ever. Weird, I know. If I’m not feeling up tin cans to make a washing board, I’m checking out the butts on pears :D Anyways she came home with me and rather than chopping her up for a fruit salad, I decided to make a “two ingredient” mold, and immortalize her as a paper weight instead.
Kinda cute right?!!! She’s been drizzled with a rich copper paint sauce. If I ever master the art of cooking I’d love to make a baked pear dish with a drizzle of sauce. It looks like something that could be served in a 5-star restaurant. Okay, maybe not ;-) So since the only recipes I know how to follow are those that involve a strange mix of ingredients, let me share how to make a silicone mould or mold, using only two ingredients that can be used to cast almost anything.
But, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and hit that subscribe button below, so you never miss a post ;-)
Right, let’s get to the tutorial. It’s easy, fun, and will open up sooooooo many new crafting possibilities.
Two Ingredient Casting Mold
- Silicone – the cheap stuff that smells like vinegar works best
- Maizena or cornstarch
If you can’t find cornstarch or you’re allergic, you can use tapioca starch or rice flour.
The Other Stuff
- Whatever you want to mold. I used my shapely pear ;-)
- Plastic knife for mixing
- Mixing container
- Caulking gun
- Sharp knife
- Super Glue
- Gloves
How to Make a 2-Ingredient Silicone Mold
Prepping the Form for Molding
Wash and dry the pear, or whatever you decide to cast. Since I’ll be filling the mold with concrete once it’s dry, I stuck a pen lid into the bottom of the pear. It helps keep the pear upright while the mold sets and will leave a hole that’s the right size for pouring in the concrete mix later.
See what I mean about the cute pear butt ;-) I stuck the pen lid into a bit of polystyrene before mixing up the mold. It’s a trick I learned when painting polystyrene balls ;-)
Mixing the Two Ingredient Mold
Put your gloves on and throw some cornstarch into a container. Cut the tip of the silicone tube off and put it inside the caulking gun. Squeeze silicone into the cornstarch. Roughly the same amount. Then add some more cornstarch on top of the silicone and mix. If you’re using your hands, wear gloves. Things get very sticky. You can also mix the two ingredients in a plastic bag to limit the mess. Oh, and it’s probably best to do this outside. Cheap silicone has an incredibly strong vinegary smell.
When it looks like it’s almost mixed, start kneading the mixture until it forms a stiff paste that resembles playdough. If the mixture is too tacky or sticky, add some more cornstarch. If it’s too dry and flaky, like in the piccy below, add more silicone.
Molding an Object
Once it’s ready, flatten it out a bit and wrap it around the shape you want to cast. About 7 to 10 mm thick is perfect. That’s about 1/4” to 3/8”. Make sure you squish it into all the nooks and crannies.
Sit back and wait for it to dry, probably about ½ hour depending on the silicone you used. Use a sharp knife to cut the mold and remove your form.
The two ingredient mold is very pliabl,e so you can just peel it off. If you’re molding a pear, please don’t eat it. Rather wash it off again and add it to the compost heap.
The mold captures details beautifully and depending on how thick it was applied holds its shape really well.
Use super glue and carefully glue the two halves back together again, and it’s ready for casting.
Casting the two ingredient mold
You can either use concrete or plaster of Paris. I didn’t have to add any kind of release agent, I simply mixed up some concrete and poured it inside the mold. Just make sure you shake it around a little to get rid of any air bubbles. Once the concrete sets, carefully cut along the seam lines and remove your form.
This easy two ingredient mold can be reused over and over again, just wash it off, and you’re good to go.
To finish the pear off, I used some copper paint to create that 5-star restaurant look and added a bent, rusty nail as a stalk. The leaf is a piece of metal that had been lying outside in the rain for a few months.
A little bit of rust always works for me.
Don’t you just love that combination of concrete, copper, and rust?
Just a word of warning. Once you make your first mold, everything looks moldable :D We’ve turned an old broken doll into a garden ornament, transformed a bell pepper into an exotic jewel, and even created our own Egyptian cartouche using the two-ingredient mold. And since the mold is silicone-based you can use it to make candles too. Even teeny, tiny ones ;-)
And if you like the idea of making your own silicone mold, don’t forget to save it to Pinterest so that you can find it again!
Let me know what you think. What would you mold?
Oh and if you don’t want to go to all that trouble and find some of the materials we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: If you click on the links below, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more unique DIY and craft tutorials to share with you ;-)
Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY then perhaps these beauties will appeal.
And as always hope you have a wonderful week, filled with love and lots of interesting new finds. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
198 comments
Hi, this looks like fun.
Just one question, to be sure that I understand.
When you take the mold off the concrete pear, the concrete still looks wet?
Should it be wet? or half-dry? Is it the same if you use it for cast?
That was just over-eagerness on my side. I couldn’t wait to see what my concrete pear looked like. Ideally the concrete should be set.
I want to try and make a mold of a finial for the full size bed I bought. It’s missing just one of the four finials. They measure 5 inches at the base and are 7 inches tall. Can’t you help me figure out how much silicone and cornstarch I’ll need. Also would I just squeeze it around one of the finials and guess if it’s think enough, or just go a little thicker on purpose?
The pear mold used about 1/2 tube, and if memory serves me correctly, she was about 5″ tall (not sure how wide though), so I would get two tubes of silicone since the finials are quite big. I would also go thicker so the walls of the mold can support whatever you’ll be using to make the finials. Hope that helps.
I have a question for you, so I want to make a mold out of a vintage, papier-mâché doll. What can I use to protect the doll from any damage when I make the mold? Also, do you know if I can press paper clay inside the mold, and how long to let it cure for if that would work? It needs to be hollow inside. Thanks for this post and any suggestions!
I can answer your second question; yes you can press paper clay inside the mold, but you may find that the paper mâché doesn’t pick up all the little details like hair or wrinkles (I’m not sure how big your vintage doll is). WRT the first question, I’m not sure. I’ve never tried using the mold over paper mâché. I have made a clay mold form and then paper mâchéd over that to create multiple copies. If the mâché has some kind of protective coat over it, like varnished you should be okay. Could you make a dummy mâché shape and test it out first?
wrap it with plastic wrap/tinfoil first.
What do you use as a release agent for things that can get stuck in it ? Because I have tried this and then I could not get it off of the skull head I bought that I wanted to make more of . Now my skull is ruined because I can’t get all the stuff off of it .
Oh no, Angel, I’m sorry to hear that. If your mold doesn’t release it’s usually because it’s too sticky/tacky and you need to add more cornstarch. I’ve never used a release agent, but I have heard you can brush on a mix of petroleum jelly and mineral spirits. To remove the leftover stuff you can try rubbing alcohol or silicone remover. Test it on a small spot first to check that it doesn’t damage your skull further (I’m not sure what it’s made from).
Hi, thanx for the tutorial. Does this also work for making cake moulds? If I use marzipan, is it still edible with the mold made of this type of silicone? Thanks
Hey Katya, unless you use the 100% food-grade silicone, I wouldn’t use the mold for baking or cooking.
Fascinating post! I caulked my porch last fall with a silicone caulk. I looked at it yesterday and it looks great. I want to try some of what you are doing. You are very creative. Thank you for sharing.
You are most welcome, Cindy. Enjoy playing around with this 2 ingredient mold recipe and thanks so much for leaving a comment. They always make my day.
I had to let you know your recipe worked like charm. I was worried in the beginning because it sounds to easy. THANK YOU. I made a mold of a beautiful small bottle and I was surprised at the detail. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with everyone.
You are so welcome, Mrs M. And thank you for coming back to let me know.
Clever idea! Never thought about using these ingredients.
Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Kristen. Have fun playing
Can’t wait to do this. I will let you know how I go. Fingers crossed
I’d love that, Hellyn
Hi. I’ve just come across your info. It’s great. Love the mold idea and your other crafts.
Just a suggestion…would be great if you had a printable version, that could be filed and kept for future reference. ☺️. That way you don’t get all the bits not needed to be printed.
Oh right, kinda like the recipes that you can save. I’ll do some investigations and see if there’s something I can use for crafts. Thanks so much, Andrea.
I save all my craft and diy “recipes” to an app called Recipe Keeper (I know it’s in Google Play Store for Android; not sure about the iPhone app store).
You can even make “cookbooks” of the specific “recipes” and save them as pdfs or print them. Each recipe can be organized into categories so you don’t have to worry about crafts getting mixed up with actual food recipes.
Usually if the instructions are organized like a recipe, all you do is share the page to Recipe Keeper and it does the rest. It even grabs a photo.
Often as not I just manually copy the craft instructions and structure them the way I like them. I find it’s a great way for my aDHD brain to absorb the details of the craft.
That’s a brilliant idea, Fern. Thanks so much. I struggle to keep things organized too and this will be a great help.
When my grandkids were babies, we molded their little hands. They are one of my precious possessions, especially now that the youngest is 21 years old! We used alginate because we knew it wouldn’t be harmful to baby skin and plaster of Paris to make the project. You can get alginate here: https://www.amazon.com/Alja-Safe-Lifecasting-Alginate-3-lb-Box/dp/B000KVSU60
I fell in love with molding things and now that I’m retired, I have so many ideas I want to try. Your tutorial and mold recipe seem to be just perfect for my intended projects. Thank you for sharing, and for the wonderful way you explained how to do it complete with helpful photos. I can’t wait to give this a try!
You’re so welcome, Sarah. I’ve never tried the alginate version before but I’ll keep it in mind when my kids make me an Ouma. And I get you with falling in love with molding stuff. After making your first mold, everything seems moldable :D
On the pear (materials used) the silicone is listed at $64.99 that may be what a case costs but the tube alone can cost anywhere from $1.99 to $4.99 or under $6 for the expensive one. just pointing that out for people who have never purchased silicone before so they don’t shy away from trying this. I loved the pear & the mold ideas are wonderful for so many things.
Thank you soooooo much for pointing out that the Amazon link was for a case of silicone not one tube, Melody ❤ I’ve updated the link with a cheaper version. When it comes to making the mold the cheap silicone is the best.
Where is this Amazon link for silicone?
Oops, sorry. I’ve updated the link. You should be able to find cheap silicone at any hardware store if you don’t come right.
Hi there! I made a mold and cast a figure using your instructions above – thanks so much for sharing. I used plaster of Paris instead of cement. Do you know how I should paint it? Do I need to use a primer then acrylic paint? Thanks :)
Hey Cheryl, plaster of Paris is quite thirsty so I would apply either gesso or a primer first, before painting. :D
It nay be a bit late, (5 years too late!), to reply to this, but you can add a water based paint to your plaster of paris as you mix it, if you’re going for a That way, if a bit gets chipped, the model remains the same colour and doesn’t show a glaring white. I do this when making dioramas. Or if you’re actually painting your item, it could act as an undercoat and for the same reason.
That’s a great tip, Geggy. Thank you.
Will this work for resin??
It will, yes :D
I loved this tutorial etc.! The 2 item mold was also great and things I do have ( which is great)! THANK YOU so much for this! It’s just what I’ve been searching for! Namaste
So happy you found it useful, Ruth. Have making making molds
Cant wait to try it out…and do beautifully written! I’ll be looking a pear butts now!!! ??
You’re going to have so much fun, Amber and I hope you find a beautiful pear butt :D
Hi! Can I cast silver with this?
Oh gosh, Max. I wish I could give you a definite answer. We’ve never tried casting silver, but what I do know is that silicone handles heat really well. Maybe mix up a small batch and test it out? I would love to know if it does work.
Thanks for the great tutorial. Is it possible to use a previously cast object (ie, one that can’t be cut in half) and take the silicone mould apart without slicing through the object?
Of course yes :D You can use a craft knife to slice the mold off. Depending on what your cast object is made of I would make a shallow cut all the way around and then gently pry the mold off.
I am so appreciative of your tutorial! Do you think this would work to mold names that are thinly written into the concrete floor of my parents barn? My Parents are having to sell their property after 43 years. The names I want a cast of were scratched into the wet concrete of all of us kids probably 35+ years ago. I have one shot at getting a copy of these names molded and casted into something that is frame worthy or shadow box worthy as a forever memento for myself and siblings. I have to be able to create at least the mold in one morning/afternoon. Do you think this method would work? Any tips to making the mold, and not have the words turn out backwards when I cast it into the permanent structure. My common sense over thinking brain is telling me the names will turn out backwards?
That’s a wonderful idea Mandy and yes it will work. We used the mold to make an Egyptian cartouche, https://acraftymix.com/blog/make-egyptian-cartouche-diy/. The hieroglyphs were all cut from craft foam which is pretty thin and the mold picked up all the details. If you want to make doubly sure you can do it in a small space of time, mix up a small batch at home and stick it on a concrete slab or brick wall. The mold sets really quickly, so that shouldn’t be a problem, but I suspect you may have to put a very thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the lettering so that the mold releases easier. Don’t worry about the letters coming out backward. The mold will be in reverse, but once you cast concrete or plaster of Paris inside the mold, the finished piece will be the right way around. Have fun and please share your amazing creation once it’s done. I really think it’s going to be so special.
Thanks, for sharing the useful information.
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it useful
I’m new to you but I’m hooked I Love What You Did With The Pear . I Will Be ✅ In Again.
I’m so happy to hear that Sue, and I’m glad you found us on the big internet of things ;-)
Can you do body parts,.like tour hand.or.foot this way do you think?
You can yes, but I would avoid sensitive body parts, especially if you use the cheap silicone.
Loved this. I will be trying this. Thank you
You’re welcome, Ivy.
Hi! Great instructions, thank you! Would it work making a mold of something made from air dry clay?
It definitely would yes :D
Can you remold the same silicone?
So sorry, Jenny, I’m not sure if I understand your question. Once the silicone mold has set it can’t be “unset”, but you can use the silicone mold to mold silicone.
I have a beautiful antique chair I’m restoring which feature horsehead ’finials’ on each arm. We also got two puppies and well one of the finials is now completely chewed off! I’ve been looking for a way to make a mold to repair this and I think this may work, however, the ears on each horse tilt away from the chair. Another words I need to make a mold with a mirror image. Do you think this method would work?
Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that Heather. I tried searching on the web to see how to make a “reverse opposite version” mold and sadly I couldn’t find anything. The only thing I can think of doing is getting someone to print a reverse horse head for you? It’s easy enough to do with the software out there. Depending on the printer thread they use, you could either paint it to look like wood or use the printed horse head to make a mold? I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
You might try turning the mold inside out (if it is flexible enough). That might give you what you’re trying to achieve.
Maybe try to remold it by using paper mache or modeling clay?!
Great idea
Whew, Michelle! It took me awhile to get through all of the awesome comments and questions! You’ve certainly created a winner with your two ingredient mold! How clever and ingenious of you! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks! PS – I will forever look at pears in a different way! Lol!
I love that mold recipe, it makes crafting new things so easy and I’m so glad someone else out there will see pears in a whole new light :D
Hi a question. After I am done with casting can I reuse the old mold and make a new mold out of the old one
Hello Elize, I’m not 100% sure if I understand your question, but you can use re-use the silicone mold quite a few times. I’ve found that depending on the brand of silicone we use (cheap brand vs. expensive) the mold can be re-used a lot before it starts deteriorating.
I used a light bulb without the metal part and filled it with cement. Put a wire for the stem.
That sounds so cool Judy. I’d love to see them
Love this!!! I do have a question. I have a beautiful antique wooden bed with wooden finials. 1 is missing and I need to figure out how to make a mold for it and maybe get a carpenter make one from the mold? I honestly don’t know how to do this one. Any ideas would be appreciated! Thank you!
The mold will so work to make that finial and depending on how your wooden bed is stained/painted you can try and mimic the same colors and finish with acrylic paints after you’ve made the finial. I would suggest making a plaster of Paris one first. It’s cheaper and easier to get than concrete and less messy. You can play with paint effects on the P of P finial and then do one in concrete.
this is remarkable!!!!! thank you so much for sharing!!!! I’m headed to the store to get a pear!!!!
You are so welcome Bev. Have fun making your molds and I hope your find the perfect pear
I’m so happy I found your blog. You brought me a ray of sunshine on this dreary rainy day. I used to buy paper mache ducks and cover them with pine cones. And of course, the company went out o business. I have one duck left and have been looking for a way to make an inexpensive mold so I could make my own. Do you think the mold will hold up if I use a paper mache paste?
Well hello Kati and I’m super glad you found our blog too :D The mold will hold up beautifully if you’re going to fill it with paper mache paste. To protect your precious duck that you’de like to use, I would give it a few coats of varnish or sealer, just to make sure none of the moisture from the silicone seeps through while it’s curing. I don’t think it will but just to be sure. I hope you have lots of fun and I would so love to see those pine cone ducks of yours. They sound fascinating.
If there was an award for “The Best Writing, Imagery, Content, Usefulness, and Fun, Molded into the Shape of a Tutorial”, you get my vote, and a Firm handshake! That is one Solid tutorial. ~Danika. …Oh, did I say Thank You? :)
Baie, baie dankie David :D
Ok so my kids and I tried this and successfully made three molds, super glued them back together, and for the life of us could NOT get the cement to pour in order to fill the mold. We tried three different ways, using 5 parts cement to 1 part water according to the instructions, then kept having to add more water since the cement was so thick it simply wouldn’t pour into the hole. We can’t seem to get the molds full without making a watery mess that won’t set. We are using Quikrete. How on earth do you get the cement into the mold to fill it completely? Help!
Hi there, Andrea so sorry you’re having problems getting the cement inside your molds. I’ve never used Quikrete, it’s not available here in South Africa, but there are a few things you can try. First off, check that the pouring hole is big enough. Enlarge it a little if you need to. You can always use a small bit of concrete after your form has set to shape it. Thinning down the mixture helps too, but it seems you’ve already tried that. I also find that the smoother the concrete (less coarse/rough) the better. If Qikcrete has larger bits, try mixing in a little fine sand or fly ash. I’m not sure what that will do to the setting time and strength though, you’ll have to play around a bit. While filling the mold make sure you tap it all over so all the air bubbles can escape. You can also try slush pouring the concrete into the mold in layers. For a slush pour, you’ll need a mixture that’s about the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, that’s just started melting. Pour a little of the mixture inside and twirl the mold around so the concrete covers the mold completely. Wait for it to dry and add another layer. Repeat until your mold is filled. Depending on the form your molding it may be better to not glue the two bits together and rather pour the concrete into the two halves and then once it’s set, use a little concrete to join them together.
Use portland cement or a smooth grouting type mix. It has no stones or gravel in it. Quikcrete has gravel mixed in it.
Try to find the Rapid Set Cementall she is recomending. But look for it at Home Depot where in most areas is only $15.00 for 25#.
I make model hotrod cars and had some parts like scoops and fender skirts i ve wanting to copy. So i made a.mold and i ve turned out about 25.parts already. So thank u very much for the mold idea. Also i made them out of silicone and a drop or 2 of food coloring will do a great job of coloring the silicone. Do u have a better idea to do it. I sincerily thank u so much. At 81, it helps keep me active.
Ahhhhh Jackie, you have no idea how much your comment means to me. Thank you for making my day so much more special. I’m over the moon that you’re using the mold for your hotrods. That must be such a fascinating hobby. Kudo to you ❣
How would you mold around a cement form?
Hi there Kathleen, the silicone mold works great on concrete. You would just wrap it around the concrete form in the same way as we did the pear. Enjoy playing around with the recipe, once you’ve done the first one it becomes a little addictive and everything looks moldable ?
Hello! Quick question: so you super glue the mold back together after slicing it to release the (CUTE!) pear but. Then you pour concrete in. Then slice the super glued area open again to release the concrete? I want to make four casts out of my mold and just want to make sure that it won’t get wonky after glueing, slicing, casting, etc….. thank you!!! You made it look so easy!! :)
? Your mold shouldn’t get wonky Erin. Just use a thin sharp knife to cut it open again and slice carefully ? We used the recipe to mold a really cute doorknob for our fairy cloches and I can’t even remember how many we’ve made with the one mold, and they all turned out perfectly.
i would suggest using contact adhesive….no need to cut….contact adhesive is pliable and will seperate easy
Thanks so much for that Dave. I never even thought of using contact adhesive, but I will most definitely try it next time
You have excellent ideas. Please tell me, if I wanted to make a mold for a bird, what can I do_ thank you very much
Hey there Maria, it depends on how detailed your bird is. The silicone mold is great for picking up tiny intricate details but if it’s difficult to unmold after it’s dried then you could lose some of those details. I would look at the bird and probably place the silicone all around leaving a hole at the bottom (I’m assuming the bird is sitting?). You are welcome to send me an email with a picture of the bird and I can have a look.
I’m dying to try this to make some original looking molds for my soap making. Thanks so much for sharing!
Oooooo I need to try that too Bonn. What a lovely way to use the molds
Thank you Michelle…
Came across this on my Pinterest feed. Great idea and beautiful end result. I am trying to remove as much plastic as possible from my life and you inspired me to find out where silicone lands in terms of environmental impact.I’m including a link to an article that does a great job of answering this question: https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/column/because-you-asked/what-is-silicone-and-how-green-is-it
I was really happy to find out Silicone is not plastic and not fossil fuel based.
Thank you so much for posting this project.
Cara – Portland, Oregon
You are most welcome Cara and thank you so much for the link too. What an amazing website. I really wish we would all become more “earth” aware. We are destroying our beautiful planet and we don’t have another one to fall back on. She is the only home we have ?
Cute! This looks simple to do. I think this will be a perfect activity for the kids. Thanks!
You’re most welcome, Micheal. Kids will definitely enjoy making the molds and you could always let them mold one of their favorite toys too as we did with an old doll here – https://acraftymix.com/blog/wood-nymph-garden-ornament/
Thank you for the tutorial. This will certainly be used by me for not only a pear but an apple and other things
Awesome. Have fun making molds of all kinds of things :D
Pear Butt Mold! Love it!
?
Hello,
Thank you for all of your ideas.
I am going to try making a mold hopefully in the next week or so.
I have an aggressive form of MS. I love the projects that have less ingredients, so I don’t have to move a lot of ingredients around.
Since it is hard for me to walk, having all these great craft ideas are so wonderful. My husband and I thank you very much. (He says your ideas and then mine keep me at least in one area.)??
? You are most welcome and I know you’re going to have so much fun making your molds. MS is a nasty thing to happen to anyone. Sending you a BIG virtual hug ? I wish I could be closer to sit with you and make stuff
Thank you Michelle! I live in South Africa and it’s refreshing to see products that are common household products in a South African household. Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to try, but life is in the way at the moment, got a go to work.? But I’m on to you girl, you have yet another follower!
? Well hello Adele and thanks so much for following along on our crafting journey. So happy you found us in the big internet world. It does get frustrating when you see beautiful crafts and we can’t get the products here in South Africa. You’re going to love playing with this mold and it’s so affordable too. Hope you had a lekker day at work and enjoy making all kinds of things.
Looks beautiful. Did you do anything to the cement to get the finish you have. Maybe it’s just the photo but it looks a different colour to raw cement. Love your work.
Thank you so much Melissa. I did use a concrete stain on the pear after it was cast. If I remember correctly it was an iron-based stain similar to the one I used on the concrete pumpkins (https://acraftymix.com/blog/stained-concrete-pumpkin-planter/)
I love this!! Would this silicone mix work to be poured onto an object for a flat mold?
It would yes ? We used it to make a wood nymph. You can see that tutorial here – https://acraftymix.com/blog/wood-nymph-garden-ornament/
Michelle–Im thinking of using this type of mold to make stuff out of liquid polymer clay…can it be safely baked in an oven while the clay is still inside the mold? …LOVE this stuff! –Marjie in Illinois
Oh my Majorie, that’s a very interesting question. I have no idea. I’ve never tried to bake something inside the mold. Mmmmm, I do have a green pepper mold lying around some air-dry clay. Let me test it for you and I’ll let you know.
Absolutely not! A chemical reaction will occur with silicone when heated . Will blister and ruin your project.
Thanks so much for that Trish. I did find some heat resistant silicone which might work. Apparently it’s heat stable up to 300 degrees celsius. It’s a bit more expensive than the ones I normally buy but I’m keen to test it out. I’ll let you guys know how it turns out.
Hi can this mold be use for epoxy resin??
I’ve never tried epoxy resin but I don’t see why it shouldn’t work. I would suggest making a small mold and testing it first though and make sure to mix the silicone and cornstarch really well, so any loose cornstarch bits don’t cloud the resin. It will probably wash off too once you’ve made the mold, but just in case ?
Hi. I would like to make a mould for table legs. Can this be done and using fibre glass can the mould be used over andover
Yes, the mold will work for table legs. You’ll need quite a bit of silicone and cornstarch if you’ll be doing a whole life-sized leg and the mold will need to be supported in some way so it doesn’t sag. The molds are reusable up to a point, but I think that also depends on the type of silicone used. I still have the pear mold and we’ve probably made 5 or 6 pears with it. Then there’s another one we made with green pepper and I only used that one three times and the 3rd green pepper looked a little lumpy? I’ve never tried fiberglass, but I don’t see why it shouldn’t. It works with resin. Have fun and please let me know how it goes Andrena
Silly question…how did you attach the stem? Your pear is absolutely beautiful!
I’m so happy you like the pear Sheryl and no question is ever silly. I drilled a hole into the top of the pear and then glued the rusty nail stem inside
I never knew mold-making could be so simple!
Are there substances other than concrete which may be used in this kind of mold?
Hey there Kathy, we’ve used plaster of Paris and resin in the molds and they both work well.
Absolutely great. Can I use this to create veiners for making clay flower?
Yes you can Trisha. The silicone picks up all those tiny details beautifully
Hi, I’m glad I came across this tutorial as the ingredient list is way less than other tutorials I have seen. Do you think this mold would hold up to isomalt usage?
Hi Angela, I’m sure it would, just look for food-safe silicone. It’s a bit more expensive though. The silicone I used was the really cheap stuff and has a strong vinegar smell, so that’s probably not a good idea for isomalt.
This is a good alternative for lack of sculpture supply sometimes! this is a great guide!
Thank you so much, Micheal. We use the mold all the time and it works out so much cheaper too
I have a question-do you think this could work on larger objects? Trying to make a mold for a moose horn to use for a memorial for my late father-in-law? Would it work w/large box/crate?
? I’m not sure Therea. The biggest thing we molded was a large cast-iron pot (30 cm tall or about 11,5″). We had use a lot of silicone and cornstarch to make the mold so it was strong enough to hold the concrete we put inside. The mold had to be mixed in batches so it didn’t dry out too. I’ve never seen a moose but I believe they’re really big and looking at pictures of their horns you’ll have to think carefully about how to cut the mold off so it can be joined together again. They’re quite intricate with all those curls and whirls. I hope that makes sense and I’m so sorry for the loss of your father-in-law ?
Thank you so much for the support and time you have taken to write the material and instructions for the project. Pics and all. Love it. Plz let me know of any other ideas and projects.
You are most welcome Wanda, so happy you enjoyed the tutorial. You are welcome to subscribe to our newsletter. The button should be on the right if you’re on a laptop or desktop and down at the bottom of the screen if you’re on mobile
Hi Michelle, Thank you for lifting my spirit. i’m an addicted crafter like you. Use to make teeth out of porcelain and gold and other metals. Well the crafter in me started to take impressions with dental materials. The victims were herbs little branches with berries, insects. Yes anything small that would fit in the casting machine. what fun and cute and beautiful things I made. I all so made castings with alginate impression materials and plaster of my sons face when he was 15. He still has it. NOW your impression material is much cheaper and I am retired now, so this is just for me. I have a little trick to make things rust fast. Vinegar and salt 2:1. Spray or dip iron things leave 24 to 48 hours, you have rust. Now a question? what paint and technique did you use for the copper drizzle? Thank you again I’m following you.
? And you just made my day. I so enjoy getting beautiful comments like yours. Wow, those casting that you did sound so incredibly interesting. I wish I could see them. You have my mind going all over the place right now, just thinking about all the fun, natural stuff out there I can experiment with. Thank you so much for the salt and vinegar recipe too. I’m going to give it a try. WRT the paint, I used copper acrylic paint and poured it on in layers, waiting for each layer to dry so it could have some “depth”.
Thank you for the inspiration. I have a small ceramic turtle I want to make from cement. I hope I can do as good as job as you did. I’m apprehensive to make the mold because of how my turtle has the legs and head. Unlike the the pair that is just one solid cavity.
Hey there Karla, I’m sure your turtle will turn out beautifully. You may need to figure out where the cut the mold off. It’s difficult to give advice without a picture of the little turtle but I would try cutting the mold around her middle if that makes any sense. So you’ll end up with a front half and a back half. You can leave a hole at the top for pouring the cement. That way it will fall into the legs first. Be sure to shake her around every time you add more cement so it goes into all the nooks and crannies and her head area. I’m not sure if you saw the wood nymph that we made using the same mold – https://acraftymix.com/blog/wood-nymph-garden-ornament/. She’s about 1 1/2″ (4cm) and all the details are spot on, even her teeny, tiny little nostrils. Just experiment and have fun.
You sure were right about the pear butt! What a clever and attractive paperweight. Using the rusty nail and scrap tin for the stalk and leaf is genius at work. Just beautiful!
Thanks so much Kathleen. ? Isn’t that pear butt just the cutest thing ever.
What a wonderful idea! …. and the result is fantastic. The mind boggles with ideas that you could use this for. I’m in awe of your blog and your creativity (I’ll have some of what she’s having :) – I’m signing up to your Twitter so I don’t miss anything.
?Thanks so much for that Susan and I’m sure with all the beautiful pieces you create you are going to make some amazing molds
Oh Michelle, I’ve somehow missed this post. This is sooooo cool! I had no idea that you can make a mold with these ingredients. Thank you so much for sharing! Right now I don’t have an idea for a mold but I will certainly keep this method in mind.
It’s such a fun thing to do Julia and the best thing, it doesn’t damage the original piece you used to create the mold. Sooooo guess what my lovely friend, I’ll be making molds of those beautiful brooches of yours real soon ?
Hi Michelle. Greetings from ireland. I too have been looking for a cheap effective mold. This should work beautifully. Berries etc. (Everything)! I would like to say you are one of the very few people who reply to all comments. Very frustrating to ask a question and no reply. Thank you for tutorial. I am signing up right now. You are exactly the tutor we all need. Many many thanks. Buzzing with ideas. Fondant doll faces for a start. Food safe silicone…. you are awesome! Deborah.
Ooooooo, you’re going to have so much fun Deborah, and thanks so very much for subscribing to all the way from Ireland. ?
How clever and creative is that and can’t believe how easy it is to make a mold. Brilliant using a rusty nail for the stem and love how you finished your pear, especially the copper sauce running down. Again, you never cease to me amaze with your creativity, Michelle :)
? Thank you Marie, I’m having so much fun right now and making all kinds of moldable things
How clever!!! You really come up with the best projects Michelle! I love how you used a nail for the top of the pear! So creative!
Awww Sam, thanks so much. That rusty bent nail just seemed perfect for the pear with the cute butt ?
This is absolutely fabulous. I am putting this on my to-do list.
I’m so glad to hear that Debra and knowing you, you’ll come up with some really amazing mold ideas too
This is so cool Michelle! I’ve never thought of making my own molds, I didn’t know how easy it would be. Your pear does have a cute butt, lol. And turned out so pretty. Love the concrete, and rust together.
I swear that pear had the cutest butt I’ve ever seen on a fruit ?
Fo you think this would work on a small animal skull? I find quite a bit of things nature has left behind while landscaping.
A small skull might be tricky Kayla, but worth experimenting with. I would probably cut the skull in half lengthwise before making the mold. You can glue the two bits together after casting. That way you should get all the details and skulls are usually pretty symmetrical so you’ll have two molds to experiment with. Just an idea, I haven’t tried molding a skull before
Woooooow!! This is so freaking awesome and it looks so easy to make. I saved it :D
It’s really easy, as long as you get the dough-like consistency right you should have no problems Ana. Enjoy
I wish I could sit inside your mind with you for a day wow! I just love how this turned out! Gosh, now I feel compelled to try casting something too lol. I love the drizzle over top…it looks good enough to eat! You are so talented lady….I am always in awe of you!
? Thank you Carolann, and your welcome to fly over here anytime. Just think of all the fun we’ll have together
OMG! What have you done here again Michelle! This is such a clever method to make everything you like. It is a piece of art, you know! I just loooooooooooooove it!
? So glad you like it Christina, thanks so much
You are a genius! That pear is everything. I’m speechless. Do your ideas come to you in a dream? How do you come up with them?
? Not so sure about the genius bit Jas ? but I sure do appreciate your comment my friend. I’m really not sure where the ideas come from most of the time they’re just there. The hubby says I’m a little weird and that there’s a md scientist living inside my head. Everything fascinates me
Love the nail as a stem. Celebrating your creativity.
Thank you so much Michele ?
Freaking awesome! Just awesome! I’m hoping to use this to fix furniture. I cant wait to try it.
Oh that’s wonderful Lorin. Let me know how it goes.
I am just in awe! You are so brilliant! I now need to find something to mold!
Awwww thank you. I just know your going to have so much fun Deborah
Wow, Michelle!!!!!!!!!!!! I needed this recipe!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, thank you so much!!!!!!!!! What a brilliant idea!!!!!!!!!!!! Kisses, my friend.
And right back at you Mia xoxoxo I’m so happy that you found the two ingredient mold recipe useful.
This is an awesome idea! It looks so easy too. I’ll have to think about what I want to create.
? That’s the fun bit, trying to figure out what to create. Right now everything in our house looks moldable ?
Hi Michelle, this is so cute. So you have used the real pear to give this shape, great idea.
Thank you my friend, yes it was an actual pear
This is so amazing, always love your work, so cool and creative ideas. I have never made any molds but this is inspiring me to try it myself. I really like the rustic finish. It would be great to create a bunch of fruits like this in a bowl.
You’re so sweet Preet, thank you. I do hope you get to try it. It’s way to much fun
Wow Michelle! your project is amazing! what a fantastic way to reproduce and object with great precision and the final result is amazing.
btw, when I’m down I do not shop for food, I shop for MAKEUP LOL!
? Now that’s one thing I hardly ever shop for Nati. I probably still have make up from when I was in school in my drawer. I should probably use it to do some crazy experiment ?
This is such an awesome project! I really like that it only has 2 ingredients and seems quite easy to do. The pear looks absolutely amazing!
Thank you Elizabeth, it really is super easy
This is really cool. Now you have the cute pear butt forever! ? The gold sauce definitely makes it 5 star worthy. I really like the bent screw as a stem.
? Yes!!! That butt’s now been immortalized and I can make lots of them ?
wow that is truly beautiful work
Thank you Chris, I really appreciate that
SO much awesomeness! I looked at the picture for a minute before reading trying to work out how on earth you had done this, it looks simply stunning! It also took me a minute to realise that the stem was actually a nail! Everything about this is perfection. How do you discover all these amazing techniques, is it something you already know or do you tend to do experiments? :D
? Thank you Ithi. I suppose it depends on the project but I do really love to experiment. The world fascinates me, there’s just so much to learn and try, I don’t any of us will ever have enough time to do it all. And google and pinterest and youtube make it so much easier to find new ideas
This is so cute and I think one is not enough to decorate in my living room. I needed to have few pieces at least to place it in the coffee tables in the living room.
Ahhhh yes, just imagine a whole bunch of concrete fruit in a bowl. That would look so lovely
I would have NEVER thought of it. Never. You are so creative. And enthusiastic about these projects. I can feel it through your words and interactions. You should give classes and may be spread this joy? I know I would take your class. I yearn to use my hands to create something. Love the end result. It came out so well.
❥ tanvii.com
? Thank you Tanvi, that means a lot to me
You are so clever to make your own mold and this pear really is a cutie! Lovely! I feel like concreting [is that a word?] now!!
Ooooo I hope so, the concreting bug sure has bitten me hard ?
That looks quite impressive Michelle! So you used a real pear to mold around? I like the rust application at the end too. It looks sort of like a gourd. I had no idea it was that easy to make molds. Now you can make no end of things to put out in your garden.
I’ve been having so much fun with making the molds. Nothing is safe anymore. I even “borrowed” some of my daughter’s dolls to make a few ?
This is awesome! I can’t wait to try it out. I’ve been wanting to try making silicon molds forever, but I thought I had to buy expensive mold-making stuff. I never realized I could make a mold with 2 ingredients I already have. Thank you!
? You are going to have sooooo much fun Rebecca. I honestly can’t wait to see what you come up with and the kids can make all kinds of things for their fairy gardens too
Such a cool project Michelle. I tell you that pear with its copper sauce looks good enough to eat. And the rusty nail is also very inspired! I may just try this when I unbury myself out of the mountain of furniture.
Oh that’s good to hear Mary. You’re going to have so much fun with it
Question, what if you poured silicone into the silicone mold….would it stick and be a disaster or would it come out perfect?
I’ve never tried it but it should work Kate. Silicone doesn’t stick to silicone strangely enough, which is what makes it such an awesome molding agent.