How to Make Bricks
Making bricks from mud and straw is a fun project for children or adults, and can be a great way to add a personal decorative touch to your new patio, wall or garden decor. During the drying process, you can add colorful glass beads, draw pictures or designs in the moist brick or place children's hand prints in the mold as lifelong memory.
Instructions
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Begin by collecting the perfect dirt for brick-making. You will need to dig down at least one foot, collecting deeper, lighter colored dirt and not the top soil. Sift the rocks and twigs from the dirt and place it in a wheelbarrow. You can use a household strainer to sift the dirt, if desired.
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Add grass or straw to the dirt. As a general rule you should add one part grass or straw to six parts dirt. The grass or straw should be cut short, no longer than 3 inches in length.
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Stir in water slowly, mixing well. Add only enough water so that the dirt is thick, not runny, about the consistency of biscuit dough. It is important to mix thoroughly, preventing the dirt from clumping up and forming brittle, dry patches in your finished brick.
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Shovel the mud into your chosen mold. Molds can be made from many things such as old milk cartons, ice cream containers, pie pans or you can make your own mold from scraps of wood.
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Place the molds, full of mud, in the sun to dry. When partially dry you can add decorative touches, such as hand or foot prints, glass beads or shards or anything you can imagine. Once the bricks are dry enough, remove them gently from the mold and place them in a dry, shaded area to complete drying. Placing them in the shade for the final drying will help prevent cracking.
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Tips & Warnings
Strengthen your bricks by adding one part gypsum, lime, cheese whey or manure.
