It’s not at all difficult to make gypsum crafts for your own home on your own, the main thing is to be creative. Plaster compositions are used to design the interior of the room or personal plots, courtyards and suburban areas. The only difference is that for open space, larger and more massive products are chosen so that they do not get lost against the general background.
DIY ideas
To decorate the interior, light and small products are the best solution. Mostly they should transform the home and make it cozy.
What can be made of gypsum:
- decorative elements for walls and ceilings, furniture;
- interior accessories: figurines, vases, candlesticks;
- children's toys in the creation of which children can take part.
In gardens, greenhouses, in the open, fairy tale characters, mythical heroes, funny figures and knightly castles look especially impressive. With various objects you can revive boring facades and fences, terraces, patios and gazebos.
In this article, we will look at how to make a fungus, leaf plates and a guinea pig.
Properties and characteristics of gypsum
To make even the simplest figure, 2-3 components are needed: water and sculpted gypsum, which is a powder from a natural mineral. After interaction with the liquid, a solution forms, which quickly hardens. The result is a durable material for further processing and shaping. It is well preserved during sudden changes in temperature, absorbs moisture, has a low thermal conductivity, is safe for health and environmentally friendly. Gypsum can be purchased in building goods stores or departments for creativity.
There are three main methods for preparing gypsum mortar for household products.
- Pure composition without impurities. It is best suited for making crafts for children, even a small age group. Toys made from a clean solution based on two components: gypsum and water, are absolutely safe and will not harm the baby if he decides to taste them. In order to get a durable product at the exit, it is necessary to observe the correct ratio of water to mineral. 10 parts of water have 7 parts of powder. A correctly mixed solution has the consistency of thick sour cream. It is worth noting here that such objects are not reliable in particular under mechanical stress. If the toy falls or the child accidentally drops it, it will break. This can be avoided by mixing the solution in another way.
- PVA glue is added to the composition described above. In this case, the ratio of the components is as follows: 10 parts of water account for 7 parts of gypsum and 2 adhesives. The finished product will be strong and plastic.
- Another option for preparing the solution is more time-consuming, but allows you to get a better product. 1 part of slaked lime is added to the stock solution.
What is needed to make a garden fungus figurine?
To make this craft for home and garden, prepare:
- gypsum, you can replace it with a mixture of cement, sand and water;
- PVA glue;
- acrylic paints;
- varnish;
- tassels;
- compass;
- pencil;
- wood carving tool or stationery knife;
- a bottle of plastic;
- cups
- waterproof glue for joining parts;
- vegetable oil;
- laundry soap;
- water.
Make the leg
First of all, it is necessary to prepare a plastic bottle of the desired shape and size. A milk container is good. The upper part of the bottle is cut with a stationery knife or scissors - this is the basis of the future mushroom.
In order for it to be easy to get out of the mold after solidification of the finished element without breaking, the inside of the bottle needs to be lubricated. Rub the soap on a fine grater, add a little water and sunflower oil, mix everything thoroughly and leave until the soap is completely dissolved. Then the brush is dipped in the resulting composition and the walls of the prepared bottle are lubricated.
According to the instructions, part of the gypsum is bred, and then poured into a mold and left to dry completely. To reduce mineral consumption or for other purposes, the leg of the gypsum figurine can be left hollow inside. This can be done as follows: take a container with a smaller diameter and place the neck down in the gypsum mixture in the middle of the bottle. So that it does not squeeze up, press down with any object, for example, a book.
Gypsum hardens quickly enough, so after 40-60 minutes you can start cutting the bottle. Do this very carefully so as not to scratch the shape. The finished leg is removed, and the protruding part of the inside of the container is cut off.
Making a beautiful hat
To make a DIY craft head of gypsum for giving, you need to choose a cup or bowl of the appropriate size. Inside it is covered with cling film, while there should not be creases and folds, otherwise they will be printed on the surface.
After this, in a known manner, a gypsum composition is prepared and poured into a cup. After 3-5 minutes, the prepared leg is inserted exactly in the center and left to dry completely. Then the finished mushroom is carefully removed from the mold and the film is removed.
Making the foundation
The next stage is the formation of the base on which the mushroom will stand. To do this, take a plate of a larger diameter and cover it with cling film, as in the previous step. Gypsum solution is poured into it and in the center is placed a gypsum craft for summer residence.
Do it yourself also decorate the product. To facilitate and conveniently decorate the finished figure, the base can be made removable. In this case, the mushroom leg is wrapped in polyethylene and only then placed on a plate. After drying, the figure is removed and the film is removed.
Decor
After complete drying of all parts of the fungus, they begin to design crafts from gypsum for giving. With our own hands, we prepare a sketch with a detailed drawing of each element (blades of grass on a leg, insects on a hat, a door with a window, etc.) Then, according to the drawing, we transfer the sketches to the mushroom with a pencil and add volume to the lines with a thick needle.
Before painting, the figure is primed. For this, special compounds or a mixture of PVA glue and water are suitable. After applying the solution, the mushroom should dry well, only after that they begin to decorate it. If the layers of paint are not saturated enough, it is applied in several layers. The final stage is coating the fungus with varnish in 2-3 layers.
Interesting plate
Want to surprise guests? Present the fruits on a leaf-shaped plate.
To make such a craft you will need:
- a large leaf of any plant;
- gypsum mixture;
- acrylic paint;
- sand;
- substrate.
Instruction:
- The working surface is covered with oilcloth or polyethylene. This is done so that in the future not to waste time on cleaning.
- A hill of sand is poured, the depth of the future plate depends on how high it is.
- On top of the slide, lay the substrate, and on it - a sheet with the top side down.
- The gypsum mortar is mixed with the paint of the desired color and covered with a sheet. The upper part will be the bottom of the plate, so it must be smoothed as much as possible for the stability of the product.
- To print a sheet pattern on the dishes, the gypsum is pressed tightly to the plant.
- The plate is covered with gauze and left to dry overnight.
- The finished form is turned over and a leaf of the plant is removed with a soft brush. If desired, the product can be coated with several layers of varnish.
Gypsum Pig
For the manufacture of large animal figures, as a rule, special forms are used. If there is no money, then you can make a figure from a bottle and a reinforced base. For convenience, each part can be made separately, then glued. So that the figures do not stick to the form, it is lubricated with a solution of liquid soap and oil.
How to make a pig:
- Make a frame from metal rods.
- Gypsum is gradually superimposed on it, parts of the craft are formed.
- Allow the product to dry.
- The figure is primed and ground. Give a relief. Paint over.
If you want to decorate your garden, then consider the topic. It is better if there are few figures, but they harmoniously fit into the big picture.