A commercial mold can produce a beautifully detailed 4 x 4 column.
If you've never before worked with plaster of Paris, you're in for a treat. This easy-to-mix-and-pour powder is a breeze to work with, so you may even want to get the kids in on the action and let them help you make your 4 x 4 decorative column. Use a store-bought mold to do the job or a cardboard box. Either way, once your column is removed from its mold, you can decorate it in a number of ways to make a useful displayer, a fancy pedestal or an architectural piece.
Instructions
1. Learn about plaster of Paris. Calcium sulphite, a naturally occurring mineral known as gypsum, is mined, heated and ground into a white powder for commercial use. Water reconstitutes the powder and once it is poured into a mold, it will re-harden, taking on the shape of the mold. Plaster of Paris acts like water: pour it into an ice cube tray and it will expand as it hardens. Ditto plaster.
2. Buy or make a 4 x 4 mold. Many column molds are designed with interior fittings, so if you want to make, for example, a Doric, Ionic or Corinthian Greek column, the mold will impress the flutes and patterns on the plaster of Paris while it's curing. You'll wind up with a bas-relief column that replicates the shape of the column you desire. Alternately, if you don't want to spring for a mold, you can substitute a cardboard box measuring 4 x 4 for your project.
3. Follow directions on the plaster of Paris box to mix the right proportions of water and powder. Before you pour the plaster into either your prefabricated 4 x 4 mold (these usually come in parts that snap together) or cardboard mold, spray the interior with WD40, cooking spray or another lubricant so the hardened column isn't as difficult to remove. Pour the plaster into the mold and allow it to harden. Then un-mold the column. You may have to peel away the cardboard.
4. Decorate your 4 x 4 column any way you wish. Use stencils and a plaster knife to incise patterns into the column, or create the look of a fresco by attaching plaster of Paris decorative art to the column. Small flowers, stars and medallions are a few of the motifs you'll find when you peruse pre-poured plaster embellishments at the craft store. The pattern is up to you, but once you decide, use plaster glue or more plaster of Paris to attach the trim. Allow the glue to dry before painting the column one or more colors.
5. Use a special effects product to give your column the look of marble, slate or granite. You'll need a kit that includes application tools and special paints to achieve this look, but if you seek an elegant pedestal, nothing surpasses the gorgeous finish you'll get after applying these products. Plus, the instructions packed with these products are really easy to follow. For drama, skip the faux finishes and spray-paint your 4 x 4 column in a metallic color that mimics bronze, silver or gold.
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