4M Glitter Mermaid Mould and Paint

This is the 5th of these mould sets we've bought or received as gifts, we are big fans! In my rush to purchase I didnt realise that unlike the other ranges, this one only includes 1x bag of plaster, hence why it is half the price of the others. The detail of the mermaid design is a lot more intricate than other sets, (e.g. cupcakes) so would suit an older more careful child 7yr old+ more than a rushing 5yr old. Due to the need for precision, the makers have kindly included a finer point paintbrush and still the same amount of paint as other sets. You are expected to mix your own colours. This is not realistic for very young kids to achieve with these miniature pots so I always have our own ready mixed poster paints at the ready. Lovely craft set to kill a few hours. When mixing the plaster and filling the provided mould tray, we always have enough leftover to fill 2 or 3 extra moulds from our other design sets (see photo showing our bonus extras we made). If the child mixes the plaster gently they are less likely to get bubbles which make holes when the plaster is set. Fab set, but trickier intricate design than others. Amazing value for the length of entertainment it provides.

A lot of kids craft activities honestly are a rip off, they are either way too complicated or such terrible value and take five mins to complete. This is not one of those! This kit makes beautiful plaster fairies that you then paint. They are very easy to make and turn out beautifully. The paints they supply are pretty dire but who doesn't have kids paint? We used our own and they turned out really pretty. They give you a lot of plaster mix so you can make far more than the six moulds. Highly receoomnded and great value.

We spent a lovely Sunday making these. We over filled the moulds a bit - they don't need to be flush to the top, and the badges were a bit fiddly to keep out of the plaster of paris until it had set. I took off one star as my son really wanted to make badges and only a couple of badge pins were provided. As there is enough plaster in the kit to make a dozen moulds I'd have thought at least half a dozen would be in the box. However all other aspects are great. My son really enjoyed mixing the plaster and pouring into the moulds. And he loved painting them once set later in the day. Really nice product.

it was fun to make these magnets, but its not too easy for a young child to paint them because they are quite small. so don't expect the magnets will look like the ones on the packaging. nevertheless my daughter was very happy with her work.

Made with my 3 year old, she loved painting them and adding the glitter.

It is easy to get started, all you got to supply is about 60 ml of cold water and a mixing bowl and spoon (plastic recommended). You will also need a pair of scissors to open the packets. The instructions tell you to mix water into the plaster. This is wrong! You must always put water first and then sprinkle the plaster on top. Once it's wet, you gently stir the mixture and pour into the mould. If you do it the way they suggest, your mixture will have lumps in it and be brittle. After you pour the liquid plaster into the mould, do not forget to tap the mould on the table to help the air bubbles rise to the surface. When the plaster is cold and has hardened, you can turn out the mould onto a towel. Break any extra plaster around the figurines with your thumb. You can smooth the edges with fine sandpaper if you wish but I am sure the kids will be eager to start painting. Advise them to start with the lighter colours first and let each layer dry before they proceed to the next. You will need to mix the paints for them in a palette because at a younger age they are not able to do this successfully. Protect their clothes and surfaces as the paint is not washable (no matter what they claim). The amount of times that strip of paint tubs has dropped on a carpet or overturned on the table... It takes increased manual dexterity and colour sense to produce figurines as beautiful as the ones pictured on the package. Some children may find using felt tip pens easier than using the brush as it is miniature work. Now to a bit of criticism to the product: 1) the moulds are not detailed enough 2) the plaster is not good quality. It is not Plaster of Paris (the white one which gives a really smooth and pleasant finish). 3) the pins are fiddly to insert so wait till the mixture has thickened (but not fully set) before you insert the pin and hold it till the surface hardens or it will drop into the mixture and be unusable. I don't like the pins and anyway the figures are bulky to be used as badges. But the positive thing is you can reuse the mould with some Plaster of Paris (buy it at any Craft shop) and keep experimenting. Craft shops also sell magnets. PS: to clean the bowl used to mix the plaster, wait till the remnants have hardened and then give it a bash against a hard surface and the pieces will come off easily. For environmental reasons and to save yourself from pipe blockage, do not pour powder or liquid plaster down the sink!

I like to give my niece and nephew presents which they can spend some time assembling, and then enjoy whatever it is they have made & customised. It helps keep them quiet for an hour on a rainy day, and maybe even helps nurture their creative skills. I think they are great presents, and the children enjoyed decorating them.

I brought this as a fun activity for my niece's and they loved it (5 and 9). The clay comes out of the molds easily but you need to make sure there is no air bubbles, luckily the bubbles were on the back and couldn't be see. My nieces loved painting but couldn't always tell what bit they were painting. I had to mix a lot of paint to get the colours they wanted. We had no problems doing the badges as you do them when setting the clay but had problems getting the magnets to stick.