Mould Making

Mould making is a fantastic way of capturing something you admire and turning it into silver. If you've not had a go at this yet then do, as it's ever so easy and very satisfying. We also cover it in the Advanced Silver Clay Workshop.

To take a mould, you simply knead equal amounts of the two-part moulding compound until it's an even colour and there is no marbling. I've found the best way to take a mould of an object is to place the object on a flat, clean surface and push the moulding compound down over it, rather than pushing the object into the mould. This way you get a lovely, even mould.

Once the mould is set (this takes around 2 to 3 minutes) you're ready to take a cast with your silver clay. Push the clay into the mould, use some cling film or disposable gloves to help you do this as it stops the clay from sticking to your fingers and you won't leave unwanted fingerprints in the clay. Top tip: if you run out of clay around the edges of the mould simply add some syringe clay or paste to top it up. Use a wet finger or water pen to blend it in.

I usually leave the clay to dry in the mould so it can harden and shrink away from the edges, this makes it easier to remove.

Here's an example of a ring I made using a mould taken from a £1 ring from Top Shop! We now stock the moulding compund in our on-line shop silver clay creations shop