Finials

I made a 2 part mold of a pair of curtain rod finials using Ultracal 30, which is similar to plaster but much harder and more durable. For a detailed description on the mold making process I recommend "The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook" at Amazon.com.

Once the mold is complete I pressed several layers of papier-mâché into each half, be sure to overlap the finished edge. The papier-mâché is made from a diluted solution of wall paper adhesive with water and small bits of newspaper. A minimum of 3-4 layers should be sufficient to provide adequate strength.

Allow each half to dry overnight. When completely dry, remove the casting from the mold and trim the excess.

Use hot glue to secure the 2 halves, make sure they line up reasonably well before you glue. Start at one of the side points and work your way all around.

When the glue has hardened, trim any excess or use the hot tip of the glue gun to smooth out any uneven areas.

Coat with a primer and then a flat black spray paint. Since these will be used for outdoors I added a couple coats of an exterior polyurethane for weather protection.