I’ve watched so many videos over the years, about various ways to make molds, but never actually did it. A couple of weeks ago I found 2 full boxes of Amazing Mold Putty 2-part food safe mold making compound at a thrift store for half off $4 each (which is way closer to my preferred price point than the retail) and started playing around. Then I got an idea.
I knitted a swatch of nylon landscaping cord. It’s smooth plastic, so it won’t leave fibers in the mold putty, but it is plied, so it makes a really nice yarn-like impression. I stretched the swatch on extra dpns, and slapped that mold putty on there.
(You really have to get the prep work done first because that stuff sets up FAST. I think I used the first half of a box just learning how quick I needed to be.)
I made two full impressions, and will be sending one to my sister, who is already planning on using it to make sugar cookies, chocolates, and marzipan.
I, on the other hand, used mine to play with some polymer clay I got at the same time.
This project is great from top to bottom! I love that you found your materials at a thrift store (on sale, even) and that this got you to finally do-the-thing. And then what you did with it is so dang awesome… then you did it again as a gift. WOW!
In truth, 99% of my crafting materials are thrifted, and I often don’t do-the-thing until I find the supplies 2nd hand. There are a whole host of reasons, mostly that I am VERY THRIFTY (coughcheapcough), but also because it’s ecologically sound. I would say particularly in crafts that involve plastic, but let’s face it; it’s also crafts that involve plant material AND crafts that involve animal products. I won’t buy new fur pelts, but I WILL buy a vintage fur coat and use the fur. Buying 2nd hand cotton materials helps offset the ecological disaster that is massive-scale cotton production and processing. Buying things like mold-making, polymer clay, plastic textile materials, and resin 2nd hand means keeping that specific bit of plastic out of a landfill, AND not contributing to the market share enjoyed by that material. I will say, though, I absolutely DO NOT JUDGE anyone who doesn’t operate like that, or who pursues resin or polymer clay art as a main medium, especially because my thrift stores are magic places where I merely have to wish and wait and eventually I will find everything I want, and that isn’t the case for most people.
Well, lookie here! 