Then, the funnel wouldn’t fit in the hole! So, I cut four slits, one on the top, bottom, and each side of the hole. It gave just enough for the funnel to fit. We finished filling two skulls with cement. Then, just let the skulls set overnight. Allow them to set up for 24 hours. Then, I used little nippers to cut the plastic away, but others have used sharp knives. Next time, I’ll use a sharp knife. The nippers probably take longer but they did work. Just keep your tools away from the front of the face. You need to mix the cement in a plastic container. I used a paint paddle to stir the mixture. I mixed enough for one skull at a time. Mixing the castable refractory cement You’ll notice that the castable refractory cement is a lot finer than regular QuikCrete. To make each of these, it took 6 cups of dry cement and 1 – 1/2 cups of water. You don’t want it to be too fluid.

How to Make Putz Houses from Christmas Cards - My Humble Home and Garden on How to Make a Mini Banner – Unique Christmas Decor Plan For A Stress-Free Thanksgiving Like An Expert - My Humble Home and Garden on How To Roast A Perfectly Moist Juicy Turkey I made these on Monday, five days before Halloween. Each day, the skulls turned a lighter gray as they dried.

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How to Create a Chic Spooky Skeleton Mantel Display - My Humble Home and Garden on How To Make An Easy DIY Halloween Pennant Plan For A Stress-Free Thanksgiving Like An Expert - My Humble Home and Garden on Entertaining Inspirations Place the funnel in the hole. Slowly, pour the cement mixture into the funnel. Completely fill the skull with cement. Set the skull aside to dry. Originally, I had intended to set the skulls in the dirt of a flowerpot. Fortunately, the corners of the cardboard box worked well. Fill the skull with the cement and tap lightly with a small hammer.

Although we filled it all the way to the top, I guess quite a bit of water rises to the top, resulting in a space between the cement and the top of the plastic skull. The skulls ended up having a flat area. Even at that, they looked pretty cool. It’s hard to believe they come out as detailed as they are! My plan was to make more of these, but the dollar store didn’t have any left. So, there’s next year. Isn’t it cool? When they first come out of the mold, the surface is a dark shiny gray color. Then, the gray lightens as they dry. Refractory Cement Skulls Okay, we’re in the middle of this with wet cement and didn’t want it to harden. Aidan stirred the cement as I tried to figure out how to cut this hard plastic. My garden shears would not work. Didn’t think there would be enough time to get out a saw, so, I grabbed the loppers and cut off the lower inch of the funnel. See the knobs on the head? Well, when I saw the water rising to the top, I started spooning more cement into the hole. Yep, don’t do that! I tried to scrape these off as soon as they came out of the plastic skull. Casting Refractory Cement for Fire Pit Skulls