Make your own plaster of paris

Make Your Own Plaster of Paris

Budget Friendly Project for VBS

Trying to keep costs down for your Vacation Bible School? We’re doing the Egypt theme this year and I’d like to make papyrus and cartouches (with hieroglyphs on them). Both call for plaster of paris to hold them together, so I went searching for a recipe to make our own and found the following two methods (if you’d like more information on the papyrus or cartouche, check out the Thrifty Egyptian series, or leave a comment and I’ll get back to you!).

First, you can make a paste that is diluted white glue and warm water. Basically, you use two parts white glue with one part warm water. Put the glue and water into a plastic bowl. Add more water, while stirring the mixture, until you get a soupy mixture. The final product should be watery yet still have a slight white glue consistency.
Second, you can create a flour paste to use as Plaster of Paris. Use two to three cups of white flour with one cup to two cups of warm water. Mix the flour and water in a plastic bowl until there are no lumps, and the consistency is a smooth paste that’s easy to stir.

What Should I Use This Stuff For?

1. Masks

2. Paper mache

3. Piñatas

4. Bubble paint

5. Sidewalk chalk

Here are some warnings about the mix:

Prepare the surface of your cast before you begin mixing the Plaster of Paris, this way you can use it as soon as the mixture is smooth enough.

Don’t try to use Plaster of Paris that has cooled in the mixing bowl, nor try to save it for later use, once the Plaster of Paris has cooled it will no longer be malleable enough to use for anything but will form a cast of the bottom of your bowl.