How do I Make a Fake Landscape Rock?
Landscape rocks are extremely heavy and can be expensive and difficult to transport. For many home landscaping jobs, fake rocks are far more convenient. You can make a fake rock in any size or shape and easily move it if you would like to try a new location. The light weight, however, can also be a liability, so be sure to bury your fake rock partway underground to keep it in place. Additionally, fake rocks are not nearly as strong as real ones, making them a poor choice for retaining walls, high foot traffic areas and other uses where they might be subject to a lot of force. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pliers
- Chicken wire
- Water
- Pot
- Flour
- Newspaper
- Fiberglass cloth
- Epoxy laminating resin
- Putty knife
- Exterior latex paint
- Paint brush
Instructions
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1
Use pliers and your hands to mold chicken wire into the shape you want your rock to be. Keep in mind the finished rock will be at least a couple of inches wider and taller than the wire.
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2
Bring 5 cups of water to a light boil.
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3
Stir in bleached flour until it forms a paste with a moderate consistency. Boil it for about 3 minutes, then let it cool. This is your paper mache paste.
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4
Rip off a strip of newspaper a few inches wide, dip it in the paste and run your fingers along both sides of it to remove extra liquid.
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5
Lay the strip on top of the wire frame.
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6
Continue to lay strips on the chicken wire in an overlapping pattern until the frame is completely covered. Leave it in a well-ventilated room to cool.
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7
Lay a piece of fiberglass cloth on top of the rock, and use your hands to smooth it over the rock.
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8
Coat the rock with a layer of epoxy laminating resin. Use a putty knife to spread the epoxy around. Allow the epoxy to cure.
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9
Turn the rock over and coat the rest of it with fiberglass cloth and resin. Let it dry.
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10
Paint the rock with exterior latex paint the color of your choice.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you prefer to use white glue and water or some other combination of ingredients for your paper mache paste, feel free.
References
- Photo Credit butterfly on rock image by Charlene Bayerle from Fotolia.com
