Face It, You’ve Always Wanted to Paint Plaster of Paris Dinosaurs

One of the things I remember from my childhood is an overabundance of plaster of paris. I remember waiting for the molds to dry so we could press out our Plaster of Paris masterpieces and paint them to our little heart’s desire. So, in honor of taking a trip down memory lane we are going to dedicate today’s “make a dino Monday” to a lesson on how to create and paint Plaster of Paris dinosaurs.

Create and Paint Plaster of Paris Dinosaurs At Home

The first step in making your own Plaster of Paris dinosaurs to paint at home is the “ingredients list” for the sake of providing an example I will link to the products found on Amazon. Note, you can likely get all of these products from your local crafts store as well.

What You Need to Make and Paint Plaster of Paris Dinosaurs

•  A silicone dinosaur candy tray / muffin pan, cake pan or other mold (you can use a plastic mold but it is much more difficult to remove the final product from the mold so I suggest always using silicone)
• A bag of plaster of paris
• Silicone mold release
• A paint set
• Paintbrushes and a palette
• Magnets (Optional)

How to Start Your Plaster of Paris Dinosaurs

Begin making your Plaster of Paris dinosaurs by spraying your silicone mold with mold release, this ensures that once your dinosaurs have hardened that they will easily pop out of your mold.

Next, follow the instructions on your plaster of paris and mix up a batch of plaster. Carefully pour the plaster in to the silicone mold you just sprayed with mold release. Gently move the mold around and tap it to avoid any air bubbles from ruining your final dinosaur project.

Now you have to be patient while your plaster sets. Setting times will vary depending upon the size of your mold and the plaster you chose to use.

Once your plaster has set solid, carefully remove your Plaster of Paris dinosaurs from the mold and lay them out. Now you have to be even more patient than before and wait a couple of days for the plaster to completely set. Once the plaster has completely set you will then be able to paint your dinosaurs however you like!

If you want to turn your plaster of paris dinosaurs in to magnets simply attach magnets at the back once your paint has completely dried!