LeCultivateur Happy Thursday, friends!! Hope you’ve been having a good week!
This week, I have been busy working on a little project. You see, I have an antique buffet that I absolutely love, but didn’t know where to put it, so it’s been sitting in my bedroom, just waiting for the perfect spot in my house. Every time I see the buffet, I ask myself “where can I put this beautiful buffet, so I can see it more throughout the day?”. Then, last Saturday, after an amazing nights sleep, I woke up and realized that I was going to build it into a hutch, and put it in my kitchen.
Here is the buffet…
Isn’t she so sweet!! With all of her carved details! I kept thinking and thinking about how I was going to make this lovely girl into a hutch. I really needed a way to duplicate those amazing details. I knew that I needed to make a mold of the carved details…but how? I looked on YouTube and found a couple different options for making silicone molds. Most people seemed to like the silicone caulk and cornstarch method, so I gave it a try.
Two tips, make sure to wear gloves, and do this outside, the smell is insanely horrible!
You will need just two ingredients:
•1 tube of 100% silicone
•16 ounces of cornstarch 
Start by placing 2/3 of the cornstarch into a container (preferably something you can throw away after)
Then add in the entire tube of silicone
Pour the remaining cornstarch on top of the silicone.
Start to mix together with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Once it gets to this point, start mixing and kneading the mixture with your (gloved) hands, until it is completely combined. Thats it, it’s ready to be molded. I was so nervous to put this mixture directly into the lovely carvings on the buffet, but I just went for it. I pushed the silicone mixture onto the carvings, making sure to get every detail. 
I let it dry for just over an hour, and slowly pulled it off. 
I was so excited…it worked!!! Now to find the right product to fill the mold with. I first tried plaster of paris, it looked good, but my little boys broke it the next morning, which made me realize that I needed to use something stronger. So I used this water putty…
SOURCE
It worked like a charm! It is strong, yet easy to sand, and so easy to make. Just mix with water, and you’re ready to use it. I filled my mold, let it dry over night. The next morning, I pulled the silicone mold away from the dried putty, I was pleasantly surprised with a perfect appliqué for the hutch that I am building.
Think of all the amazing vintage details that are waiting to be recreated! Y’all know that I’m going to be mixing up silicone and cornstarch, a lot!
Thank you so much for visiting LeCultivateur!!! I so appreciate YOU taking the time to read my blog and leave such sweet comments!! Y’all are the best, and make blogging so much fun!!
Hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!!
~Emily
Check out where I have linked this project…. Blog link list
What??? Emily! You never cease to amaze me!!! My head is spinning with ideas! Thank you! Can’t wait to see your beautiful hutch!
Tracey 💗
You’re so sweet!! Thank you!😘.
Wow girl! That is so amazing! I can’t wait to see it all built and filled with goodies in your kitchen!
You’re so sweet!!! Thank you!!!💗
How smart! I love it.
So many projects lay ahead of me now because of this🙂
Thank you for sharing Emily.
I love this and thanks for sharing. Funny, we all call our furniture and decor pieces she. I can see it smelling. Silicone can be smelly just sealing a shower.
I love appliques, game changers for furniture. Fabulous idea to use this lady as a hutch. Can’t wait to see her finished. Pinning this. Seems easier than others I have foubd.
Enjoy creating.
Cindy
Thank you so much!!!💗
I love this, Emily! You know I’m going to have to start making molds of everything now, right? Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!! I am totally making molds of everything too! So easy to make amazing details!!
Wow! What a great tip Emily! This is so cool!!!!!
Thank you so much!!💗
Emily I cannot wait to try this!!! There’s been times when I was fixing a piece of furniture that had a piece missing. and iI just never thought to do something like this!
Thank you so much!!! I’m so glad that you’re going to try this! I can’t wait to make more!!
This is seriously amazing!
Thank you so much!!!💗
Hi Emily!
I can’t wait to try making my own molds. By the way, I absolutely loved your white hutch, especially the molding on the drawers that you demonstrated with your tutorial of how to make a mold. I have a piece of furniture that I would love to put that same molding of yours on, would you be willing to make another silicone molding of it and perhaps sell me one? Its really hard to find appliques that are as cute as that one.
Thanks,
Sue
Of course! Just email me at inquiries@lecultivateur.com and we’ll work something out! I’m so glad you like it!!!
I cannot tell you how amazed I am at this! I want to try it! now to find a beautiful piece of furniture that I want to change into something more beautiful! I am joking Emily! I don’t know how you do it, but you just gained your newest BIGGEST fan! Outstanding work!
You’re the sweetest ever!!!! Thank you soooo much, Jean!!
Emily, Thank you so much for sharing! I have been willing to try.
You inspired me.
I would love to see the hutch.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I can’t wait to try it! I used to order appliqués over the years but they can be so expensive! I have some left I’ve been saving hoping to make molds but so afraid I’ll ruin them doing it. You’ve given me the courage to go for it! Did you use the same mold when you made the additional one or did you have to create another one? I’m hoping they could be used repeatedly. Thanks again!
Yay!! I’m so glad you’re going to try this! The molds can be used time and time again! I have used the same mold several times, and will use it many more time to come.