Lifecast with Alginate and Plaster of Paris in 6 Steps

Life-casting is a craft where you create a three-dimensional representation of a subject from a mold of their living body. It allows for the creation of exact portraits and body reproduction—works which may have artistic and/or personal value. In other words, it’s perfect for capturing details and keeping something frozen in time.

Fun Fact! Life-casting is often done in the special effects industry where it is used in the creation of prosthetics, props and more 😍

Creating a Mold for Life-Casting with Alginate

What you’ll need:

1. 100g of Alginate Life Casting Powder
2. 150g of Room Temperature Water
3. Silicone Mixing Bowl (you can use a bendable plastic bowl or beaker as well)
4. Stirrer
5. Digital Scale

Instructions

1. Add 100g of Alginate Life Casting Powder to 150g of Room Temperature Water.
   *Note: If you’re casting something larger, you can increase the amount of alginate and water based on a ratio of 1 Alginate to 1.5 Water. 
2. Quickly and carefully, stir and break down any lumps. The mixture will turn from white to light pink within 30 seconds.
   *Note: Light Pink = Mixture is Hardening. Dark Pink = Hardened.
3. Before the mixture turns into a dark pink color, dip the object or pour the mixture over the object. Then, wait for the color to change.
   *Note: This is a one-time use mold.

Life-Casting with Plaster of Paris using the Alginate Mold

What you’ll need:

1. 100g of Plaster of Paris
2. 50g of Room Temperature Water
3. Plastic Beaker
4. Stirrer
5. Digital Scale

Instructions

1. Add 100g of Plaster of Paris to 50g of Room Temperature Water.
   *Note: If you’re casting something larger, you can increase the amount of plaster of Paris and water based on a ratio of 2 plaster of Paris to 1 Water. 
2. Gently mix Plaster of Paris mixture until it is smooth. Stirring vigorously will introduce air bubbles.
   *Note: For colour, add poster paint or acrylic paint (4 drops for each 100g) and mix until the color is uniform. Be careful not to add too much or it will compromise the stability and hardening ability of the Plaster of Paris!
3. Pour into the Alginate Mold and set it aside to harden. It’s best to leave it for a day to ensure complete hardening.

An army of fingers! Look at all of those wrinkles 😂