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1. |
Cut the drinking straws into 1 ½ to 2-inch long pieces. |
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2. |
Grease the outside of each drinking straw with petroleum jelly. |
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3. |
An ice cube tray would make a great mold for your Plaster of Paris shapes. You can also look around your home for other mold possibilities such as chocolate candy trays, plastic egg trays, or muffin trays. |
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4. |
Grease the inside of each cube or shape compartment with petroleum jelly. |
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 5. |
Make a Plaster of Paris mixture following the package instructions of your particular brand of Plaster of Paris powder. Typically the ratio used for a Plaster of Paris mixture is 2 parts Plaster of Paris powder to 1 part water. You can also use our step-by-step guide for mixing Plaster of Paris. |
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6. |
Add some poster paint once the mixture is free of lumps and has a smooth consistency. Add more paint if you want to achieve a deeper hue. Continue mixing from side to side until the color is uniformly dispersed. |
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7. |
Allow the mixture to stand for a minute before pouring it into your mold. A Plaster of Paris mixture made using ½ cup of Plaster of Paris powder and ¼ cup water can fill about 4 to 6 compartments of a typical ice cube tray. |
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Insert a short drinking straw piece at the center of each Plaster of Paris shape. Push down the straw until it touches the bottom of the tray. |
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9. |
Repeat the process to make other colors. Let the shapes set completely. Plaster of Paris normally takes around 15 to 20 minutes to set. Though it would be best to wait at least 4 hours before taking out the Plaster Paris shapes from the mold. |
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10. |
Loosen the shapes from the mold by slightly twisting the tray sideways, just as you would when removing ice from an ice tray. Carefully pull each entire shape out by holding it by the drinking straw. If you greased the tray properly, the shapes should come off quite easily. |
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Remove the drinking straw from each shape. If the drinking straws do not come off easily, use the tip of a paint brush to push them out. |
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12. |
To waterproof the Plaster of Paris, ask an adult to spray on or brush over 2 layers of clear acrylic sealer over your finished big beads. Once dry, make some crafty bracelets or necklaces by stringing these big funky Plastic Paris shapes with plastic beads and colorful drinking straw pieces. |
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Incorporate these big Plaster of Paris beads into your next craft project. This pretty shapes mobile is made by stringing the Plaster of Paris shapes with some plastic beads and small bells. |
