Modesty's Costume Closet

 My recent failures with creating a silicone mold have prompted me to dig deeper into the processes of creating a mold of an object to cast in a different material. I'm going to start with the basics: What is Casting? A cast is a reproduction of an original item in new material.   Common Materials to cast with:  Resin Plaster Plastic Wax Latex/Rubber/Silicone Food (Ice, Chocolate, Hard Candy, etc) Molten Metal  Common methods for casting are:  Slip Casting - makes a thin layer, commonly used for latex masks 2-part Cast - Make a mold with 2 halves sandwiched together  Pour Mold - put material into a divot  What is a Mold? FYI, this didn't work out. A "mold" is an imprint of an object that we can pour the material into.  Common materials to make a mold with:  Plastic Silicone/Rubber Metal Clay Plaster What is a Buck? A "buck" is what we call the subject of the casting, the original piece, so to speak. Whether you are sculpting something to cast later or have a

How can you afford to make expensive-looking costumes without breaking the bank? This is one of those challenges I face with every project, but always make an effort to plan for and estimate. This is the method I use to plan and budget a project.  Listing out Necessary Materials  To start off, I make a list of materials. Correction...I actually will make multiple lists of materials because I'm often using the lists to compare methods, materials, and costs. But at the start, I make a list of what I need, the quantity of material I need, and a rough estimate of how much it will cost.  To determine cost I often just use what comes up on a web search and round up. The point of the list is to estimate and use that estimate to make decisions on whether or not this is a thing I COULD make.  While making a list if I run into a product that has a price range, I enter the low and high end. Such as if I buy a new pair of shoes versus a used pair of shoes. If I'm trying to decide between a

 With the wide variety of tools and chemicals you can use when making a costume, I figured it might be advisable to create a general SAFETY FIRST type post.  Typically you'll want to be careful of:  Sharp Things Dust/Particles/Flying Debris Hot/Flammable Things Chemical/Fumes Electric Things Machines General Precautions - Research your Materials and Tools! Before using any material or tools, check for warning labels. If you find 'em, read 'em. Usually you can find these on the product itself if the warning is warranted. You can also do a little online research.  Common warnings are:  Flammable High Pressure High Temperature/Hot Hazardous Material Irritant Warning Skin Contact Warning Poison Just to name a few. - Be Alert and Focused One bit of advice I got from an online course is to never cut leather while upset or tired. You make a lot more mistakes if your brain doesn't have the capacity to focus and coordinate your movement. When handling sharp, hot, or dangerous it