IOD molds are made from food safe materials (don't use the same set for food and crafts) and can be used to create baked goods, furniture, soaps, jewelry and just about any creative idea.
IOD Molds can be used with many different media. We'll cover the two most common ones here. Each medium has its own characteristics, challenges and advantages.
Air Dry Clay or Paper Clay: IOD paper clay is an air dry medium and is one of our favorites. Like most pulp-based air dry clays, they naturally exhibit some shrinkage, warping, and cracking.
We like these features because they give a worn, authentic vintage look. Our favorite way to apply molded pieces is to remove them from the mold while they are still wet and attach them to the surface with a suitable adhesive so they conform well, especially if you want to attach the ornament to a convex or curved surface. On vertical surfaces, you can also use tape to keep the decoration in place.
Casting Resins/Epoxies: Good casting resins are available. These have completely different properties than paper clay. They don't shrink or warp, and the castings are smoother. Depending on the project, these features can be useful. If they need to be adapted to a curved surface, it can be done if they are removed from the mold before the piece is fully hardened.
Note! However, if you have problems with the material sticking (which is more common with clay than with resin), lightly treating the mold with, for example, potato flour or cornmeal will help the pieces to come off.
