How to Mold Your Nose
You can use a mold of your nose to create a whimsical sculpture or to create special effects for the theater or Halloween. There are two methods of casting your nose, using plaster (for a wax or metal positive) or alginate (for a plaster positive or foam latex appliance).
Things You'll Need
- Theatrical modeling putty (optional)
- Baby oil
- Vaseline (optional)
- Cotton balls
- Plaster of Paris or alginate
- Gauze
- Material for your positive: wax, lead, pewter, plaster or foam latex
Instructions
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Create your special effect, if you are making an appliance for stage. Use theatrical modeling putty to create, for example, warts, a bend in your nose or a a scar directly on your nose.
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Cover your nose and the surrounding area with baby oil or Vaseline in a thin layer.
Push a cotton ball into each nostril to prevent any plaster from going in. The cotton should be small enough not to make your nose bulge. Ensure that you can breathe comfortably through your mouth; your nose will be covered in plaster for 15 minutes or more.
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Shave your mustache area if necessary, or work a generous amount of Vaseline into your mustache and comb it smooth.
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Cut four or five gauze strips approximately 6 inches long. You will use these to stabilize your mold.
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Mix plaster of Paris in a 1-to-1 ratio of ½ cup plaster and ½ cup water. Pour both into a clear plastic bag, squeeze out any air, and knead the bag. This prevents bubbles, which would ruin your finished mold.
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Sit with your head tilted backward. Spread the plaster over your nose and upper lip, being careful to keep the plaster out of your eyes. Spread the plaster 1 inch on either side of your nose and up to the bridge of your nose.
Use a spatula or butter knife and spread smoothly, to prevent introducing air into the plaster. Apply a thick but not heavy layer; if the layer is too heavy, your nose will droop and your positive will not look right.
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Lay the gauze strips over the plaster, and spread a light layer of plaster over the gauze. This allows you to make a lighter mold, but a strong one.
Allow the plaster to harden (about 15 minutes). It will still be damp but will hold its shape. You can speed up the hardening with a hair dryer.
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Remove carefully. You should have a perfect mold of your nose. If you see any bubbles or other imperfections, fill these in with wet plaster or sand them off your finished positive.
Bake your mold per the manufacturer's instructions to harden it, or simply allow it to harden overnight.
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Use scissors to trim your mold as necessary, cutting away any gauze or excess plaster. Lay your mold in a bed of sand or dirt until it forms a bowl that will hold liquid. Pour in your positive material (molten lead, wax or pewter), to create a perfect cast of your nose.
If you are creating a foam latex appliance, brush the latex into the plaster, thinning it out toward the edges surrounding the nose.
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Tips & Warnings
Plaster-embedded gauze is readily available from art stores. You simply cut the gauze to size, wet it and lay it over your subject. However, this does not create smooth positives; you need to sand the finished work.
If you want your finished positive to be plaster, use alginate to make your mold instead of plaster. Alginate is readily available from art supply and hobby stores. The procedure for making the mold is the same as above, using alginate instead of plaster.
Alginate hardens within minutes and, unlike plaster, can be used immediately as a mold.
Beware of allergic reactions to plaster. It will become warm as it dries, but it should not burn or itch. If it does, remove it immediately.
