Creepy as it is to say it.... I love hand molds as a legacy building service. I find them to be a beautiful keepsake for families, but it's also really soothing and therapeutic for me when I am making them. They are such a super tricky thing to do though, so I have listed below the best tricks I have come across thus far for making them turn out.
1.) When mixing the Alginate use as cold of water as possible. I actually like to get ice in my water when possible. This is super helpful for multiple reasons: A. you have like FOREVER to stir it so its mixed well and smooth B. there isn't as much pressure to move fast, because like I said earlier you have FOREVER to stir C. the smoother you get the Alginate the smoother the plaster will be when pulled.
2.) As a personal preference I would rather save the 3D mold for little babies and do what I call family molds for older kids. (See picture below for a family mold) The older child's hands look odd to me as a 3D version and I personally find it more of a legacy item when the family is involved. If you have a family that doesn't want to be involved, or isn't present you can still do the molds the same fashion, just without the added hands.
3.) Let. It. Sit. There is nothing worse than NOT letting your plaster dry enough to remove it from the casting material. Then once you get the mold out and prettied up a bit you should really let it sit some more. Families are still going to want them in five days I promise.
4.) Don't criticize yourself too much on them. The family you are making molds for has probably never seen them before, which means that whatever you are able to give to them is going to be "perfect" for them. You and I might realize that they aren't the best work that's ever been done, but they don't. Instead of thinking 'These aren't the best' re-fram your mindset towards 'This family is going to love these.'
What are your favorite tips and or tricks when it comes to doing molds?
-K
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