belly cast instructions??

[alisonsage]

does anyone have instructions/ links to how to make a belly cast? i think i understand the basic idea but i would love to know what supplies you used and how much of them! thank you!!

[naturalthinker]

belly cast with plaster of paris, brown rice pasta waste water, or duct tape

Plaster of paris is what many of the 'casting kits' come with. This is available at major craft supply stores in powder form; i'd follow the instructions on the box to mix it up, put on an old t-shirt you can carefully cut off of you, lie down and let someone slather it on you. You can pre-cut the shirt or use a piece of cloth that you can take off once it is mostly dry; repair any cracks with more plaster of paris.

a thinner, sturdier cast can be made with watered down mixture and gauze strips going across in alternating strips.

I've done two casts with duct tape, applied by a friend over an old t-shirt, which after being cut off and taped back together can be stuffed with newspaper to create a 'mannequin' image of yourself. this is handy for sewing projects and dressing up at halloween to set in front of the window...the duct tape takes a while and goes faster if a person can cut tape while the other applies it. advantages of this is the person can move around more than a wet liquid mixture.

I recently experimented with a fantastic paper mache mix: rather than pouring out the water used to boil a package of brown rice pasta (which can be boiled down to increase its thick and gooeyness), save it and dip yellow pages or old phone book paper strips into it for making a cast of your tummy. this dries very quick and sturdy relative to glue mixtures. [This is a fantastic method if you want to get a pinata made and painted in under less than 24 hours!] You could also use gauze rather than paper to cast your stomach with this mixture too.

Ky jelly, petroleum jelly or t-shirts are various ways to protect your skin from whatever method you decide to use.

And, of course, there are the kits which you could buy if you'd like a more guided experience. either way, it will probably be best to have a friend help you out and a few hours to spare. good luck!

[russianthistle]

I did mine with pre-plastered gauze. I bought the stuff (I'm sorry I don't remember what the product is exactly called) at a medical supply store...the kind of place that sells prosthetics, wheel chairs, items for providing home health and the like.

This pre-plastered gauze stuff is for making casts. It works like wall paper (like really skinny strips of wall paper, anyway). I'd say 4-6 rolls of the stuff should work. Anyway, you unroll the gauze and cut it to length and "wall-paper" yourself (or have your partner do it ). I covered myself from just behind each hip up to under my arm pits, and from my belly and up over my breasts. I shaped the top as if it was a strapless dress. I layered the plaster several times. I reinfoced the edges by, folding a piece to go over and around the edge in the opposite direction. I'd say it dried to be about a half an inch thick...

I didn't remove it until it felt solid and at least mostly dry, then "popped" myself out of it. Be sure to put a bit of vaseline or butter or oil of some sort so that the plaster doesn't stick

I think my cast turned out very nice. You can even see my nipples and belly button clearly.

[CrunchyParent]

I've done a belly cast with each of my pregnancies. In both cases I bought the pre-plastered gauze from craft supply stores (call first. I found that even with chain stores, some locations carried it and some didn't).

I casted my breasts, belly, and hands (on belly). I tucked some plastic wrap into the waistband of my underwear and folded that over my underwear to protect it (and me). I rubbed down all body parts to be included in the case with Un Petroleum Jelly. We had cut the gauze into strips maybe 10-12" long and I had a tupperware tray filled with water. My mom dipped the gauze on me and lay it on. We did a couple layers and soon after, it was dry enough to remove. Once we took it off, we held it up to the light to look for thin spots, and reinforced them with more gauze.

I put several layers of gesso on the first one once dried and then used a faux bonzing kit to give it the look of a bronze statue. I haven't decorated the second one yet. Waiting for inspiration, I guess.

[Reha]

We suggest people buy Rigid-Wrap. It is almost always available at Michael's, as well as some independent craft shops (Jo-Ann's doesn't have it).

You need 2-3 rolls for a cast.

[alisonsage]

we ended up going to michaels and buying the rolls of 4" wide preplastered guaze. each belly took about 3-4 rolls. we coated teh mamas with petroleum jelly and cut small strips for the bottom layers and bigger ones for the top. they came out beautifully!! thanks for the tips everyone!

[Bohemiannights]

help with belly mask

Hi everyone. I've been reading the posts about how to do a belly mask and I was wondering if it matters how you place the strips of tape. Do they have to be all in one direction or should they be cris cross , all vertical or all horizontal? Just wanted to be sure before I try this on my friend that's due soon. Any help with this question would be very appreciated.

[Reha]

I think it is best to start with lots of criss-cross strips. Then you can start laying on more strips that are a mix of horizontal, vertical and criss-cross. It really helps to add to it's strnegth.