Elephant Ear Bird Bath
by
Sumetha
5 Materials
$30
4 Hours
Medium
I made this leaf casting out of elephant ear leaf. This is my 1st leaf casting and I am extremely pleased with it. Its pretty easy to make. Make sure you wear a mask when you are mixing the cement. Enjoy making your leaf casting!!!.. Thank you all for your comments and feed backs. If you make one, please do post a picture. I would love to see it.
Dirt Mound
Step 1. on a table mound the dirt or sand and form into a shape you want. this shape is good for a bird bath
Plastic over the dirt
Step 2. Cover the dirt mound with trash bag
Step 3. Now place the leaf upside down on the dirt mound on top the plastic.
Step 4. Mix the Portland cement with water (not too runny) and cover the leaf (mine was little too runny and went outside of the leaf (but its was ok, that made the casting bigger) take a paint brush and smooth out the cement before it dries out. cover the casting with a trash bag. leave it under a cool shaded area. so it cures evenly. Don't leave it in the sun. it will make the cement cure faster but will crack. let it cure for 48 hours
Flip it over and peel off the leaf now
Step 5. Take a sand paper and rub along the edges and clean it out. give it a good wash and let it dry for few hours before painting
Step 6. Paint it with acrylic paint (any brand is fine). Spray it with clear coat before displaying it outdoors.
Lovely bird bath.
Step 7. All done.
this is another bird bath I made
Its a beautiful piece of art
my 3rd one I made
few more
One last one I made before the frost.
Comments
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2 of 99 comments
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You can also use many smal leaves and just have the cement show between the leaves. Let your imagination go wild!
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Yes
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Your mix is equal parts Portland cement and sand?
Where do you get the leaf? I don’t want a plant for just one leaf. Can you buy them somewhere?
I didn't see you saying about mixing the cement with the sand? What kind of paints did you use they look iridescent?