DIY Network

Simple Sculpture Find your inner Michelangelo with plaster-sculpture tips from Michele Beschen. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-140

Get your hands in some plaster and start sculpting!

Most crafters are intimidated by sculpture, thinking the materials are too expensive and too hard to work with.

Michele Beschen, host of B. Original, shares great techniques that let anyone be a sculptor, using plaster of Paris and items you probably have around the house. Her bas relief foliage—created using silk flowers and plaster—is a great first project for a budding sculptor.

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The technique for this project involves dipping different objects in plaster to make them look like you sculpted them from scratch. Gather your objects before you begin; Michele used silk flowers and foliage in this example.

Materials:

plaster of Paris mix
water
1-quart plastic container for mixing plaster
whisk
objects for plaster dipping
disposable gloves
waxed paper
plywood or drywall scrap for backing
pre-made joint compound
sandpaper/sanding screen for joint compound
watercolor paints
matte polyurethane sealer

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	The sky's the limit with these plaster sculptures.

• Mix plaster using 2 parts plaster mix to 1 part water. Use a whisk and mix until smooth, with no lumps. The mix will have a putty-like consistency: Add a little water to make it runny enough to dip your objects.

• Dip an object, such as a silk flower or artificial leaf, into the plaster (figure A). Try to keep the object in its original shape and set it on waxed paper to dry. Wear gloves for this part of the process to make cleanup easier.

• Dip other objects, such as artificial flowers, and set them on the waxed paper to dry (figure B). Experiment with different objects to see what looks best to you and which surfaces hold the plaster best. If your plaster doesn't stick well to the objects you want to use, you can brush them with a liquid primer and let it dry before dipping.

• Let the plaster-dipped objects dry completely (1-2 hours) before continuing.

• Arrange the plastered objects on a piece of plywood or drywall. Use cloth staples to hold the objects to the board, either using a heavy-duty stapler or driving them with a hammer (figure C).

• To mount flowers flush with the board, drill a hold slightly smaller than the stem in the board and thread the stem through.

• Once the plastered objects are secured to the board, fill in the background with pre-made drywall compound. Work the compound in under and around the objects and on the sides of the board (figure D).

• Let the drywall compound dry thoroughly, then sand down bumpy spots and other imperfections.

• Color the piece using watercolor paints. The paint will soak into the plaster.

• Once the paint is try, seal the piece using a matte polyurethane sealer.