Autumn Wind Chimes

Lately, my kids have been in to making 3D art projects. They enjoy molding with clay. We also use plaster-of-paris and silicone molds to make shapes/ornaments. Last week we used some autumn themed shapes to make wind chimes. 

Supplies - clay pot, plaster-or-paris, silicone molds, straws, paint brushes, acrylic paint, Mod Podge, scissors, fishing line, jingle bells/keys, and a large washer/button. 

You will want to make sure you use acrylic paint since plater-of-paris is very porous. If you use tempera paint the colors will be very dull.  Since the plaster-of-paris doesn't really make a sound we attached some jingle bells/keys. 

Step 1 - mix tempera paint according to package directions.  

Step 2 - pour plaster into silicone tray. 

Step 3 - let plaster set for about five minutes and then insert a straw near the top of each shape. 

Step 4 - once the plaster has set (usually around 30 minutes) remove shapes from tray and pull out the straws. If the straws did not make a hole clean through, use a toothpick to poke through the rest of the way. 

Step 5 - paint your shapes and pot.

Step 6 - once paint has dried seal shapes and pot with Mod Podge. 

Step 7 - use fishing ling to string shapes and jingle bells/keys. We strung these onto a large button that would not slip though the hole in the pot. We then made a loop with the fishing line. We then pulled that through the hole in the pot. 

Step 8 - The wind chimes are now ready to hung. 

Do you have any cleaver uses for plaster-of-paris? If so please share in the comments.