When Jenny asked me if I was up for trying out Cool 2 Cast, I thought it sounded like fun. I’m always up for trying new things. Cool2Cast has been on the market for a couple years, but it is new to me. Although I’m a big fan of fabric, my hot glue gun is never put away for too long, and I like trying new media all the time. Cool2Cast sounded like a great way for me to try a new product, and play with something new. I’m happy to report that’s exactly what it was!

Here’s what the manufacturer has to say about Cool2Cast:

Cool2Cast is a powder that can be easily mixed with water in a plastic zip bag which can also double as a pouring spout. You can mix in small batches so there is never wasted product.You can create jewelry, home decor accents, mixed media art. You can pour it into molds, you can dip into it, free pour, carve into it, embed, emboss, pour onto texture plates, pour onto clear stamps, sand it and much more.

I found Cool 2 Cast to be a lightweight, fast-drying medium ideal for use in molds. It is easy to use, and a pretty forgiving media to play with. Great for experienced mixed-media artists and crafters looking to try some mixed media. It is can be compared to plaster in that it is porous, white, and chalky when dry.

The first thing I tried with the Cool2Cast was pouring it into simple square molds. This mold is a Silicone mold designed to make brownie bites, but I have dedicated it to the craft room. It is not a good idea to allow tools to pass back and forth between the kitchen and craft room. You should pick a single purpose, and stick with it.

I put buttons into the cavities of the mold.

If you want the buttons to be at the very top of the poured piece after you pop it out, it is a good idea to hold them in place with double-stick tape. I had a few buttons shift or float in the mixture.

The mixture itself was easy to make. Just water and the Cool2Cast powder in a zip-top bag according to the proportions in the instructions. My mixture still had some lumps in it, but still performed well. The instructions said that it should be the consistency of a thin pancake batter, and I found that to be true.

I also poured the Cool2Cast into a candy mold, were it did great, and a more detailed jewelry mold.

Unfortunately, it did not do as well in the jewelry mold.

I allowed the product to dry for 30 minutes. After this time, it should be safe to take out of the molds.

It came out of the brownie and candy molds just fine, but these small flower molds designed for making jewelry cabochons did not work so well. I believe that between the detail of the mold, which caused thin edges, and the product not being fully dry, the flower couldn’t withstand the pressure needed to remove it from the mold. All of the flowers pulled from the mold had some damage to them. The larger flower was still usable. The smallest flowers were unusable.

After removing the pieces from the molds, the Cool2Cast could be scratched away from around the buttons I had embedded. It was also easy to smooth away with a wet fingertip.

You do have to be careful not to get too rough with the pieces, as the Cool2Cast crumbles under too much pressure.

The Cool2Cast did a great job of accepting a variety of different paints and finishes.

I used a fabric spray (the blue spray from Tulip), Mod Podge, Mod Podge Glitter Dimensional Magic, DecoArt Glass paints, Decoart Multi Surface Paints, Spectrum Noir pens, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and Martha Stewart Glitter paint.

I liked the way all of them performed, with the exception of the pens. The finished pieces are porous, and the ink from the pens bleeds. If you like the look of ink that has bled, or you don’t want any fine lines on your piece, the ink pens are fine.

I especially liked the way the glass paints performed. It added some gloss to the very matte surface of the Cool2Cast.

I also used the Cool2Cast in making this eyeball box for Halloween:

And I put all the different tiles I made into a quote canvas:

I found Cool2Cast easy to work with. It gave a smooth finish with little to no air bubbles on the finished surface of my pieces. Cool2Cast dries quickly, so that you can use the pieces the same day you pour them.

The Cool2Cast was easy to manipulate after removing the pieces from the mold, with water or by scratching or carving away the Cool2Cast. It has no noticeable odor. It can be used in a variety of different molds, though when using more intricate molds, allow the product to dry overnight, and remove the pieces carefully. It accepts nearly all finishes, just remember that the porous surface will draw inks across the dry surface.

Cool2Cast currently retails for about $24 for a one-pound container on Amazon.