Cast your own Concrete Bunnies

Now that you have made a mold of your own sculpted bunny (or really anything you’d like) it is time to cast it in concrete. I’ve discovered a new concrete mix that is ready for unmolding in 1 hour! This mold stands up well to repeated use …  cast more bunnies at quite the reproduction rate! Easily add some bling to finish up, no need for any fancy-shmancy art skills.

When pouring concrete; I have found that these cornstarch molds do not tend to stick, but if you want to be extra sure you could brush/rub it with some type of ‘grease’. I like a mixture of beeswax and vaseline that I had on hand to waterproof my leather boots, but vaseline can work as well. Just be sparing with it so it doesn’t fill any details.

This mold has some openings cut down the sides so it needs to be wrapped with elastic to make sure that the seams lineup. Taking a bit of extra time before you cast here will save you fixing seams later on.

You want a place for it to be able to sit vertical. A cloth/rag helps you nestle the cast in a jar or container until it sits nicely.

Much to my dismay; is still pretty wintery here so I have had to resort to indoor pouring. If you are careful, it is quite doable. If you think about it; cooking makes a lot more mess…

Yes, I guess I should acknowledge my concrete addiction… OK, I’ll deal with that later…

Anyways, I have been testing a new-to-me mix. This is a Rapid Set CementAll that cures so fast that it can be unmolded in an hour!

Yes! ONE HOUR! AND it is super strong! Ok, ya, it costs more but sometimes you know it is worth it. So far I have not broken any parts off, and tested some really thin pours with success. It opens a whole new bunch of options and new ideas are coming to mind. Get ready for many new concrete projects.

Remember when mixing your cement you need to work pretty fast, so have things ready to go before you start to mix. It should work out about 4 parts mix to 1 part cold water. I find that the water works in much faster than my usual Quikcrete mix. It can also be used at a pretty runny stage (another plus to eliminate many bubbles)

I bought a bag of reinforcing fibres at a building supply once and that will probably last enough for life! SO I add it just for reassurance, but I bet the cast would work just fine without it.

This is mix pretty runny and you can see the fibres. Once full give the cast mold some good tapping/burping. I use old kitchen utensils to mix, but metal ones tend to have the concrete stick to them, plastic; not so much.

Smooth out the bottoms. Go have a snack…

This is my typical setup that is now in my basement. I DON’T wash the bowl! DO not wash concrete down the drain! Wait til it sets and knock out of the bowl.

An hour later and you can still feel the warmth, but it’s time to unmold. You can leave it longer but it will become even harder so seams may be more difficult to get off.

If you align the openings well than you won’t need to clean up seams much. Besides, it IS CONCRETE, that is the character of it. That is why I love concrete, it is rustic and rock-like. If you are obsessed with perfection, go buy plastic stuff…

I am always amazed how strong this cornstarch/silicone mold mix is. If you find that one part of the mold is too thick to bend easily, you can cut it thinner with a sharp knife. Once you work with it you will get the feel for it.

Out he pops…

The corners may need a bit of sanding. I don’t want dust so I wet sand with some strong coarse emery cloth. And they get a good wash…

The style is simple and does not need details like eyes or toes. BUT, for fun I added some bling! Gold leaf.

Paint the gold leaf adhesive (specially made to stay sticky) to only where you’d like the gold to stick. I chose ears, nose, tail, and paws.

This brand of leafing comes on a carrier sheet. Once the adhesive is dry press the sheet against the sticky areas and pull away to leave the foil in place. To remove the non-glued leafing use a stiff brush to work it away… gold flakes everywhere!

I love this style of making forms! I see it everywhere, and any animal can be interpreted as some simple shapes. Sculpey and other polymer clay is great to make your master object