Plaster me Paris

On the suggestion of my sweet friend, Margaret, I endeavored to try out an art project which lets young students create sculpture similar to Henry Moore's. It sounded easy enough, really --well, for sculpture!

So, my girls and I mixed our plaster of paris up and got it into a disposable water bottle. Then we blew up balloons and put the lip of the balloon on the water bottle -- successfully without a hole 2/4 times. The plaster was shaken and squished down into the balloon. The air squeezed out of the balloon carefully, except when it wasn't and it squirted out everywhere! Then the balloon is tied off. Just a note that if you leave a small air bubble, it will make a small pock on your sculpture... So, we are then off to the races...no, we wait until it is getting ready to harden and then shape it with your hands. Once it is hardened (be sure to wait long enough or you might have some crumbling) you cut off the balloon and leave it safely to harden the rest of the way. Your sculpture can be mounted for display! I'll post photos if any of these get mounted.

This one wasn't quite dry all the way. Note hand after balloon burped on it!

Conclusion: Right now I don't think this is a class activity for me. Maybe Margaret will do it?! Too many variables I can't control and too messy for where our class meets... off to figure something else out!