Plaster-dipped silk flowers and plastic fruit

This project is very interesting for adults as much as for children. Dipping silk flowers and plastic fruit in fine plaster results in very unusual and unique home decoration. Make your own arrangements of the all elements of the project and you will get an excellent piece of art on the end, though the result may be unexpected.This project transforms something that people find universally unappealing – fake silk flowers and plastic fruit – and upcycles them into something spectacular: ceramic-looking sculptures.

Materials you need

- silk flowers and plastic fruit

- fast drying powdered plaster

- styrofoam block saved from old packaging of TV, for example

- wicker basket (of natural materials or plastic)

How to make it

Collect your silk flowers and plastic fruit. You may find them on flea markets, ebay, as well as garden centres and home decoration shops. Maybe they are also hidden on your grandmother’s loft.

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Pull the leaves off of the silk flowers leaving you with the flowers head on their original stems. Discard the leaves. Mix the plaster powder in a bowl according to package instructions, making sure the wet plaster is lump-free and slightly runny.

Dip the flowers one by one, swirling each flower in the plaster mixture, making sure to cover the petals completely; shake the flower over the bowl to remove the excess plaster mixture.

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The wreath made of plastic fruit and fake flowers that can be dismantled and the pieces could be used for this project

Insert the stem of the plastered flower into the styrofoam block and allow it to dry. Depending of the colour of the flower, you may need to re-dip it; the darker the colour the more dips will be required to completely cover it.

For plastic fruit, spoon the mixture over each entire piece until covered. Stand it upright on a styrofoam block for drying. Use excess plaster mixture to cover a thrift store wicker basket by pouring it all over the basket.

Allow everything to dry completely (about 2 hours or more) before arranging.