How to Make a Fossil at Home

Pour about an inch of sand into each of the bowls in which you want to make a fossil. Use a spoon to smooth out the sand and make a small depression in it. Place your object from nature gently on the depression in the sand.

Mix the Plaster of Paris solution in a bowl or container. A container with a spout works best for pouring into the bowls. Use a mixture of half water and half Plaster of Paris. Stir with an old spoon until it dissolves and begins to thicken to the consistency of buttermilk or eggnog.

Carefully pour plaster into the small bowl and over the fossil object and sand. Pour slowly so that the object and sand remain undisturbed. Cover the object and sand with about ½ inch of plaster, then smooth it with the spoon.

Place a large nail, piece of straw or toothpick vertically into the edge of the plaster and down into the sand if desired. Once dry, this creates a hole in the fossil for hanging. Alternatively, lay a small loop of string in the edge of the plaster and push down slightly to create a hanging loop.

Allow the bowls with plaster to sit undisturbed for 24 hours to dry. You may find that they dry much sooner than 24 hours. However, to allow for humidity and different plaster brand's drying times, 24 hours is a solid estimate to allow.

Carefully turn the bowls upside down into your hand so that the fossil and sand fall gently into your hand. For authenticity with kids, use a soft paintbrush to clean off the remaining sand in the same way that archeologists do. Plaster remains fragile, so handle it with care.

Complete any desired finishing effects, such as carefully removing the straw or nail you placed for creating a hole and threading string through it for hanging. Paint the fossil with acrylic paints and a soft brush if desired. Use a permanent marker to label the fossil with the type of object it is and the child's name.