Making a Mold (second try pic at end)

• First things first; you gotta build a wooden frame an inch or so bigger than the item.


• Then you need to find something to stick into the middle of your mug to create a hole at the top of the mold.



• Then you will need to pack clay on one half of the mug. Right down the middle with the handle on the side like it is shown in the picture. The two imaginary halves must be identical for the item to be able to slip out of the mold.



• Now place the mug in the center of the frame, push the round object that is inside the mug to the wall of the frame. This is going to be the opening when it's complete.



• Start packing clay around the mug, only covering the one half of the mug. Build up the clay around the opening area.



• Put water in your bucket first, followed by the potters plaster. Never the other way around (water to the powder). Add the powdered potters plaster to the water until it builds up and begins to stick out of the water. It should be just thicker than pancake batter.



• Everybody says you gotta stir it with your hand. Not sure why, but that's how it's supposed to be done. Stir it until all the lumps are gone. The lumps seem hard to get out at first, but if you just keep stirring, they will dissolve easily and pretty quick too.



• Spray your walls, mug and clay with Murphy's Oil Soap so that there is a thin layer on everything the plaster will stick to, then pour it in and cover up the mug up to about an inch or 2 over the mug.



• After about 20 min. take the sides of the box apart, it's easier to get to the clay this way; pull all the clay out.



• First half done. So far so good.

• Put your sides back together and pack the clay up around the opening of the mold. Blow all the dust out that slipped in while you were messing with the clay, (try not to spit your gum out when you do it). Spray again with Murphy's and make another batch of plaster; pour it over the top then when it has sat for a few minutes, about 20, you can take the walls off and try to split the two halves. That is the easy part. Getting the cup out was not so easy. I didn't have my clay exactly down the middle so I chipped the edges trying to pry it out of the mold. but I think I can pack it with clay before I use it. It almost looks like a real mold that I bought!

Here us round 2. I think it turned out better. The lines didn't get chipped as easily.