How to Make Your Own Plaster Ceiling Medallion

Many years ago an elaborate ceiling medallion was a very common finishing touch around chandeliers. Most ceiling medallions that you can purchase today are made of plastic. If you want an authentic plaster medallion you can try to cast one yourself. Keep in mind that the casting technique gets better the more you practice it. Before you begin you will need to purchase some ceiling medallion molds. You could try to make your own mold but that is a difficult process which is beyond the scope of this article. Most ceiling medallion molds that you can purchase today are made out of plastic. You can find these available online, or even on ebay. They usually cost around thirty dollars or so. You will also need to obtain some casting plaster. You can purchase casting plaster from any great hobby supply store, or also online. One other important item to get is a spray product called Airid Mold Spray. This product will cost you around five dollars for an eight ounce spray bottle. The mold spray helps to break the surface tension of the plaster and it allows the plaster to flow into ever spot of the mold. It is highly recommended for a professional look.

If your purchased ceiling medallion mold came with instructions, it will tell you how much plaster you will need. If you don't know, you can fill the mold with water, then dump the water into a bucket. If you mark the water level this will give you an idea as to about how much plaster you will need to fill the mold.

When working with plaster keep in mind that it is very alkaline and can be an irritant to your eyes, skin, or respiratory tract. Always wear gloves, a mask, and some splash goggles when working with this material. Also keep in mind that plaster will heat up as the chemical reactions take place during curing, so be careful. Read and follow all the safety instructions on the plaster package that you have purchased.

Cover your work area with some newspaper, and place the mold on top of the paper.

Completely spray the inside of the mold with the Airid Mold Spray.

Mix up a batch of casting plaster in a bucket or a bowl. Following the instructions on the plaster container that you have purchased. Always pour the plaster into water, never the other way. This allows the plaster to get thoroughly wet. Mix the plaster to get it smooth, but don't over mix it. If you mix it too much you will speed up the chemical reaction and it will set too quickly.

Pour the plaster into the mold, and when you are finished tap the mold lightly on the work surface to remove any trapped air bubbles. Always pour slowly starting at one edge of the mold. Let the plaster flow into all the spaces of the mold.

Let the plaster set inside the mold.

When the plaster has set up, you can begin to peel the plaster out of the mold. Start along the edge and work your way around towards the center. Be gentle and take your time, it is easy to damage the casting at this point.

Once you get the ceiling medallion out of the mold then you can trim up and rough edges. Let the casting sit and finish curing for several days.