Need a place to put your paperclips? How about your pencils and pens? Here's a crafty idea for a desk set that's easy to make but impressive enough to give as a gift. Better make several--you're going to want to keep one for yourself!
Materials:
plaster of Paris - one part water to two parts plaster
containers to use as molds - use clean, dry quart-size milk carton, personal checks box with top and bottom, four-inch square gift box
mixing bowl and spoon
3" x 3" pad of Post-It notes
polystyrene plastic foam balls
petroleum jelly
coins
ruler
full 12-ounce soft-drink can
long, sharpened pencils
stone texture paint
ink pens to color - coordinate with paint color
craft knife
emery board
Note - Set up the molds before preparing the plaster.
Steps:
Preparing the plaster
1. Pour water into a mixing bowl. Gently add plaster, stirring as you go. Be sure to add plaster to water--not water to plaster. Tip: To make cleanup easier, add water to the bowl once you've finished pouring the plaster. Discard excess plaster into a garbage bag or outside. Don't pour it down the drain.
Coin or Paper Clip Holder
1. Cut milk carton in half, and discard the top half. The bottom half serves as the mold for the paper clip holder.
2. Prepare a foam ball as part of the mold. Draw a line around the ball at the center. Draw a second line around the ball that's 1/4 to 1/2 inch under the first line. Position the ball so the lines are horizontal, with the second line near the bottom. Cut off the top of the ball above the center line, making the top flat. Slather the round half of the ball up to the center line with petroleum jelly and set aside .
3. Slowly pour the plaster into the carton mold, filling it to a depth of two to 2-1/2 inches. Drop the mold lightly onto the work surface to tamp the air bubbles out of the plaster.
4. Center the round half of the ball into the plaster-filled mold, pressing the ball into the plaster to the center line. Place coins on the flat top of the ball to hold it in place while the plaster sets.
5. Allow plaster to set according to manufacturer instructions.
6. Once plaster has set, remove the ball from the paper clip holder, and pull it out of the mold. Sand the top with an emery board if desired then finish by painting with a coat or two of stone texture paint.
Desktop Set
1. To make a double-thick mold for the desktop set, remove the lid from an empty personal check box and insert the box bottom into the lid, open side up.
2. Prepare a foam ball as part of the mold. Draw a line around the ball at the center and slice the ball in half. Slather each rounded half of the ball with petroleum jelly and set aside.
3. Prepare a sharpened pencil as part of the mold. Slather the sharpened end of the pencil with petroleum jelly; slather a quarter of the way up the pencil. Place a full 12-ounce soft-drink can behind the mold.
4. Slowly pour plaster into the mold, leaving the top 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the mold empty. Drop the mold lightly onto the work surface to tamp the air bubbles out of the plaster.
5. Position one half of the ball, round side down, into each end of the plaster -filled mold. Place a ruler across the flat side of the ball halves and weigh it all down by placing coins on the ruler.
6. Position the prepared pencil from step 3 in the plaster, centered in front of the ball halves. Slant the pencil so it leans against the ruler and onto the soda can (figure A).
7. Allow the plaster to set according to manufacturer directions.
8. Once plaster has set, remove the ball halves and the pencil, then release from the mold. Sand the top with an emery board if desired, then finish with a coat or two of stone texture paint. Allow the paint to dry.
9. Add a matching pen to the pen hole to complete the set.
Post-It & Pen Note Center
1. To make a double-thick mold for the Post-It and pen note center, remove the lid from a 4" x 4" box and insert the box bottom into the lid, open side up.
2. Prepare a sharpened pencil as part of the mold. Slather the sharpened end of the pencil with petroleum jelly; slather a quarter of the way up the pencil. Place a full 12-ounce soft-drink can at the lower right-hand corner the mold.
3. Slowly pour plaster into the mold, leaving the top 1/2 inch of the mold empty. Drop the mold lightly onto the work surface to tamp the air bubbles out of the plaster. Place a ruler across the top of the box.
4. Position the prepared pencil from step 2 into the plaster at the top of the mold in the right-hand corner. Angle the pencil so it leans against the ruler and onto the soft-drink can that's sitting in front of the mold.
5. Allow plaster to set according to manufacturer directions.
6. Once plaster has set, remove the pencil, then remove the plaster cast from the mold. Sand top of the cast with an emery board if desired then finish with a coat or two of stone texture paint. Allow paint to dry.
7. Add a matching pen to the pen hole and a pad of 3" x 3" Post-It notes to complete the note center.
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