To bring magnets from plaster and other materials from long trips has become a good tradition. But such souvenirs can be made independently, so that later you can give friends for a holiday. Materials for a large party need very little. And the gift will be exclusive.
Materials for work
To make gypsum magnets with your own hands, you need very few materials:
- Plaster - it is sold in all construction stores and is inexpensive. You can go to the department of art goods and buy material there.
- Water - necessary for diluting the working solution.
- Disposable glass or other utensils for kneading, which is not a pity to throw out. It is better not to wash the dishes after the cast, as the sewage system may clog.
- A stick for kneading material - it can be a wooden skewer, an old pencil or pen.
- Shapes - you can buy ready-made in the art departments, but you can take cells from sweets in boxes. They come in the form of shells, flowers, fish and other figures. You can take silicone baking or ice molds or the shapes for the paschok from the children's set. In addition, you can make plates in the form of simple geometric shapes and subsequently color them as you wish.
- Paints - it is best to take acrylic. They lie down well and do not get their hands dirty after drying. But you can make home-made paints by adding gouache to the PVA glue until the desired shade is obtained. For durability, this craft will need to be varnished.
- Magnets - they can be bought separately or removed from old souvenirs.
- Universal or double-sided adhesive tape.
When everything is ready, you can begin to create.
Kneading
Before you begin, you need to prepare all the necessary materials, because the gypsum hardens very quickly. Cover the workplace with a newspaper.
The mixture for gypsum magnets is diluted with water in a ratio of 3: 2, respectively. Pour 2 tablespoons of liquid into a glass and pour 3 tablespoons of gypsum. Not the other way around! Stir with a stick until smooth.
When kneading, a reaction occurs in which a slight hiss is heard. When the sounds cease, the freezing process begins. This means that you need to quickly pour the mass into forms. To make the surface smooth, you need to go on top of a piece of cardboard, like a spatula.
While the gypsum is liquid, it is necessary to make an outline for the magnet. To do this, it must be applied to a form that has not yet solidified, then remove the magnet and leave to dry.
Drying
After a couple of hours, the gypsum magnet blank will harden and can be removed. After that, leave at least a day. During this time, the workpiece will dry out, turn white.
Coloring
It is time to paint the plaster magnet. This process is limited only by the imagination of the creator. After the paint has dried, the magnet can be varnished. Glue the magnet to the back wall with glue or double-sided tape.
Plaster magnets, the photo of which will serve as inspiration, can be done with children. This is a fairly simple and entertaining process. And coloring is one of the stages most loved by kids.
Sets
Especially for children, sets are issued in which there is everything necessary for creating magnets from plaster. Having bought such a set, you can master the execution technique and make the first crafts. Plaster magnets are a great option for creativity and a nice gift for loved ones.