Crafting Faux Ice Crystal Ornaments for Home and Tree Decor
You can recreate the look of frozen ice crystals for decorative purposes without any actual ice. Instead of buying store-bought versions during the holiday season, crafters can produce convincing replicas using plaster of paris, clay, acrylic water mix and specialty sprays. The process demands care and safety gear, but yields striking results.
By Cameron Davis6 steps
Capturing the visual appeal of ice crystals is possible without any frozen water. During the holidays, plenty of shoppers buy manufactured ice crystal ornaments to decorate their homes and Christmas trees. Crafters can actually create quite lifelike imitations of ice crystals resembling those sold in craft shops. This project poses a moderate level of difficulty, yet the finished product is striking.
Step 1
Wear the gloves, goggles and face mask. Following the instructions on the package, mix plaster of paris in the bucket. Typically this means combining cold water with the plaster powder and stirring well until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, free of lumps or air pockets. Transfer the mixed plaster into the 13 by 9 aluminum pan. Let it harden until it feels like soft cheese.
Step 2
Shape the clay into a number of ice crystal forms. These can be elongated icicles, snowflake designs, or irregular ice crystal shapes. Push these forms firmly into the soft plaster so that clear impressions remain. Take the clay forms out of the plaster and let the plaster cure fully.
Step 3
Prepare the acrylic water kit as directed on its packaging. Two chemicals in the kit need to be combined carefully. After mixing, pour the solution gently into the plaster molds. Let it set according to the instructions until it becomes very hard.
Step 4
Take the ice crystal shapes out of the plaster. You might need to break the plaster with a hammer, but try to avoid doing so if you can, since you may wish to keep it for future use.
Step 5
Take the shapes outdoors or to a workspace with good ventilation. Put down newspaper or a painter's tarp and confirm that your mask, gloves and goggles are on. Apply frost spray paint to the ice crystal shapes to create a convincingly frozen appearance. Let the paint dry thoroughly.
Step 6
Mist each ice crystal with spray adhesive and dust them with white glitter to give the impression of a fresh snow coating. You do not have to treat every piece this way, or any pieces at all if you prefer not to.
