Jesmonite crafts have become increasingly popular on social media over the last year or so. Crafters are loving this medium that creates a stunning matte stone look, using it to create all kinds of beautiful craft projects.
This versatile material can be coloured to create a range of shades and textures for your home - from bright neons to muted pastels and neutral tones showcased as duo-tone, terrazzo and marble effects.
Surprisingly, Jesmonite isn't a new product, it's been around for over 50 years in the construction and building industry, but it's only recently been picked up by crafters as a medium to work with. This is mainly due to the benefits of it being safer to work with and more eco-friendly than other pouring and casting materials, such as clay pottery, which need to be fired in a kiln and therefore use more energy.
If you're looking to try out a new craft project that's easy to do and creates stunning results without needing a tonne of practice, Jesmonite could be just the material you're looking for! It's perfect for pottery lovers and budding crafters!
Jesmonite is a compound material made of two parts, one being a liquid acrylic resin and the other being a powder made of gypsum.
When the liquid and powder are mixed together, they create Jesmonite, a material that is incredibly easy to work with, durable and can be mixed or stained to make various colours.
The liquid formula is used to make decorative items using silicon moulds; when dry, it has a concrete or stone effect.
Different colours or materials can be added to the mix to give it the look of marble or terrazzo stone.
Its versatility and the fact that it's so easy to use means it's becoming increasingly popular with crafters who are looking for a new way to channel their creativity.
Jesmonite is very similar to resin crafting as it's a liquid that sets to a solid, and because of that, you need to use silicon moulds to create Jesmonite pieces. The good news is you can get silicon moulds to create pretty much anything you can think of!
Popular Jesmonite projects include:
Getting started with Jesmonite crafting requires a few different products and supplies but the majority of them can be used time and time again. The only thing you'd need to repurchase would be additional Jesmonite mixture and any pigments you run out of.
If you don't want to spend out on a whole collection of items and just want to have a go at Jesmonite crafting on a smaller scale, you could always look into getting a 'starter' kit that will give you enough materials to complete just one or two projects.
Terrazzo is a beautiful and super on-trend homeware look. Terrazzo is a material traditionally made from tiny marble chips, granite or glass which are mixed with cement, set into sheets and used as flooring in churches and important buildings.
Now you can see terrazzo effect everywhere, with homeware shops are full of terrazzo-style mugs, coasters and trinket dishes. These pieces are characterised by their speckles.
Creating terrazzo-style pieces is a really popular way of using Jesmonite; it's also really simple to do!
Keep your hands and surfaces protected. It's always a good idea to wear gloves when working with any kind of compound product, and although Jesmonite is eco-friendly and solvent free, the pigments you use with it could still end up staining your hands or work surfaces.
Don't panic if something breaks when you're demolding it! You can always use the broken pieces to make something else - in fact, duo-tone or split designs is a look many people love when it comes to Jesmonite products!
Don't leave your projects in the moulds for too long. Jesmonite works by creating an exothermic reaction (a reaction that creates heat) when the water part and powder part of the compound are mixed together.
The heat that is created is from the hardening reaction that takes place, and the silicon mould can sometimes hold on to that warmth for a bit after the reaction is finished. If you leave your project in the mould for too long, it might start to sweat, leaving stains or marks on its surfaces.
Have you experimented with Jesmonite? Share your creations with us by tagging @primamag in your pictures on Instagram!