How to Make a Pencil Holder - by Brandon

These sets of instructions will show you how to make a pencil holder out of plaster.

Step 1: High Impact Polystyrene and Paper

Please gather one sheet of 25cm by 45cm high impact polystyrene. If there are any off-cut pieces of High Impact Polystyrene, please use them and help the environment. Please gather a plain A4 sheet of paper.

Step 2: Glue the Paper on to the High Impact Polystyrene

Glue the piece of paper on one of the four corners of the high impact polystyrene sheet. If you are using off-cut pieces, then glue the paper onto the off-cut pieces.

Step 3: Draw a Square

Draw a square on the paper that is 4cm by 4cm.

Step 4: Draw 4 Long Rectangles

Draw 4 long rectangles that are 4cm by 12cm on the paper.

Step 5: Cut the Square and Rectangles Out

Cut the square and rectangles out with a pair of scissors.

Step 6: Tape the Square and Rectangles Together

Tape the pieces together. Make sure that the sides with the paper glued on to it are inwards as it will be the core of the model. Make sure to tightly seal the edges to prevent the plaster from going into the core.

Step 7: Get a Cardboard

Get a thin sheet of cardboard that is 40cm by 30cm.

Step 8: Draw the Net of a Twisted Hexagonal Prism

Draw the net of a twisted hexagonal prism where each side of the hexagon base is 6cm and the parallelogram on the side has a height of 12cm and the length is 36cm. The side angles of the parallelogram are 110º and 70º. The parallelogram should be split into 6 different sections with 6cm lengths. Draw a diagonal line from one side of the corner of the small parallelogram to another as shown in the picture.

Step 9: Cut Out the Twisted Hexagonal Prism

Use a pair of scissors to cut it out.

Step 10: Fold the Card Board

Fold the cardboard with the correct indent lines. For the parallelogram, fold the diagonal line inwards and the lines of the small parallelograms outwards.

Step 11: Put Tape on the Cardboard Twisted Hexagonal Prism

Put tape on the twisted hexagonal prism net to make sure the plaster does not soak into the cardboard later on in the process.

Step 12: Fold the Taped Twisted Hexagonal Prism and Tape It

Fold the taped twisted hexagonal prism and tape it using cello tape. Tightly seal the edges to prevent the plaster from spilling.

Step 13: Get a Plastic Bucket, Plaster Powder, Two Yogurt Cups, a Spatula, and Water

Gather those materials.

Step 14: Mix the Water and Plaster

Put 6 cups of water(fully filled yogurt cup) into the bucket. Then, use a different yogurt cup and put 10 cups of plaster(fully filled yogurt cup) into the bucket. Mix the ingredients together with the spatula until it has a slightly thick texture.

Step 15: Add the Plaster Mixture in the Mould

Pour the plaster mixture into the mold slowly to avoid spillage.

Step 16: Add the Core and Tape It in Position

Put the core into the plaster and make sure that it is centered. Tape the core into position. Be careful to make sure that the core does not touch the bottom of the mold.

Step 17: Tap the Mould

Tap the mold after pouring in the plaster to prevent air bubbles from forming.

Step 18: Wait for the Plaster to Dry

Wait for the plaster to dry for 3 days.

Step 19: Cut the Mould Open and Take the Core Out

Cut the mold open with an Exacto knife and carefully pull the core out of the dried plaster.