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Who Knew? Getting my craft on!

EmbersMom

EmbersMom

And then there were three
:dancer: I had no idea corn snake ownership came with crafting opportunities! Getting ready to make/bake corn snake hides. Getting my CRAFT ON TONIGHT! WOOT! Making one for Ember and two for Flame. ;)

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Sounds like fun! I can't even tell you how many things I've built for my snakes. It keeps boredness away :) Be sure to post finished pics!
 
I am following this thread here. I got all the supplies enough for 5-6 hides (flour and salt) for $3. And the spray paint should do way more than that, as it covers 70 - 80 square feet. The Clear Matte Finish (water proofer) was $4 and the Instant Stone was $8 at WMT. Will post pics when finished.

I met your hubby at Clark's. He is great. They had the Clips for my cage that nobody else had. And their mice are cheaper. We are so shopping there from now on. So much better than the chain stores.................hope to meet you soon, too! :)

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/enclosures/8343-homemade-hides.html
 
Yea, he told me that I had just missed you. I pulled up to pick him. I saw you leaving but didnt know it was you until hubby came out. lol

Those looked like so much fun to make. I might have to looking to them.
 
I saw someone sitting in a SUV next to my van. Was that you? Funny! ;)

Brenley got to hold the baby Candy Cane. IT was beyond ADORABLE. I just wanted to take it home.....................THEY ARE LIKE POTATO CHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My hides are baking. I am baking them like crazy, for hours and hours. Slow and low......will spray and dry tomorrow. You have to waterproof, dry, instant stone, dry, waterproof again over the instant stone (so you can wash them), dry....................and then you can use. So I doubt they will be in use before tomorrow night. I want them to air out. Don't want our snakey snakeys to be breathing those fumes. So I am going to let them air out outside all day tomorrow. The lady's on the thread I posted are much neater and prettier - as in her edges and her smoothness - but she works with polymer clay, so she is crafty with molding. Mine are more lumpy and uneven and the edges a bit rough, maybe when they are sprayed they might have a more rocky look to 'em? I don't think they will suffer in functionality, however. ;)

Another trick I read somewhere.....was Dollar Tree bowls or the like, and then covered with camo duct tape. Sounds fun, too! :)
 
Note: I tried to use a round glass bowl as a mold for a homemade hide, but the weight of the dough slid down the bowl and got too thin on top, no matter how much I tried to slide it back up. So I switched to the square one like she used. I also thought it has the added benefit of being a flat surface on top for them to use as a warming rock if they like! :) So the 2 for Flame (about 3 feet) are from loaf pans and the one for Ember (over 5 feet) is from a 8X8 brownie type pan.
 
OMG! If you do this, bake bake bake bake bake and bake some more! My dough is not even 1/2 inch thick, and the first one took 6-7 hours to get totally hard at 250. I turned up to 275 and it is still taking forever. OMG! I don't know if it is because we are a mile high here in Albuquerque or what........but it is taking forever. You might have better luck at sea level or whatever. Yikes. But I am sure it will be worth it when finished!
 
The first one fully baked and out of the oven, cooled, ready for spray paint. I swear, this one is not that thick and took 5-6 hours to fully bake!!!!

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Here is the other two hides finally finished baking. One cracked when I removed it from the mold (the loaf pan) and I had some leftover dough I had put in a ziplock in the fridge, so I patched it on the outside (the harder baked side) and finished cooking it. The 8X8 size pan had some thin corners and I tried to thicken those up with some patches. Should blend in OK once covered with the Instant Stone:

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And here is the first one, covered with the Instant Stone:

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OK - go for broke on the waterproofing. At $3.97 a can, I used almost a whole can on this one loaf-pan size hide. The more waterproof, the longer it will last. get in any nooks and crannies really, really good. Be sure the final coat over the Instant Stone is good and thick, and since this is not an art project (where you are not worried about yellowing or it being too thick for looks) make sure you get a good coating over the Instant Stone! So you can wash it. I did not waste Instant Stone @ $8 a can underneath, only on the outside. Also, let it air out for a few days outside to get rid of the spray paint smell.
 
Even with the waterproofing, I plan to "wash" this with a soapy, bleach-water-soaked sponge. I do not plan to immerse this in water or anything. And dry it off with a towel.
 
Had to air it out for a few days (outside) to get rid of spray paint smell. Then put it in viv. Obviously, overnight, he was around and on top, and finally went in. I. AM. BOSS! :) Now willing to take the time to spray and seal other 2 (another one this size for this snake (Flame) and a bigger one for my snake, Ember).

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