Making Plaster of Paris castings can be a fun activity…and also a great Boy Scouts craft. You can make a keepsake craft by casting your handprints or footprints for your mom or dad. Parents love tracking the growth of their children’s hands and feet. You could also use plaster for a fun outside activity. How about making a cast of animal tracks? First you need to go outdoors and look for animal footprints…and then let the plaster do the rest. Find out how to make casts of handprints / footprints / and animal tracks below. Have fun.

How to Make Plaster Castings of Animal Tracks or Handprints

HOW TO MIX PLASTER

Pour a little water into a can and sprinkle plaster of Paris, in small quantities. into it. Keep sprinkling in plaster until plaster rises above the water’s surface. Stir gently with a stick so as not to cause air bubbles. Use plaster immediately when made or it will harden. Caution—Never pour unused plaster down a drain or it will clog it.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED

Plaster of Paris

Water

Can

Stick

Cardboard

Paper Clip

CASTING ANIMAL TRACKS or YOUR HANDPRINTS

Step 1

When you’ve found a good animal track you’d like to preserve, clean area around it from dirt and twigs, as in Figure 1.

Step 2

Make a collar around the track with a  1 inch strip of cardboard. Fasten ends of collar with a paper clip, as in Figure 2.

Step 3

Mix the plaster and pour immediately first around track, then into the track. Allow plaster to harden for about an hour, then peel off cardboard collar. Wash off dirt and paint cast with chosen colors.

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