InstaMorph - Book Decorated Flower Pot

There are two things the Dover Public Library loves, hosting a Build Night and upcycling projects! In April Instructables sent us several packets of InstaMorph. What is InstaMorph? It's a non-toxic, lightweight polyester thermoplastic - heat it up and InstaMorph becomes moldable; cool it down and it hardens to a strong plastic. Seriously, we tried to break it and couldn't.

Several great projects were created but one of our favorites was a flower pot that was decorated with the pages of a badly damaged Harry Potter book.

You Will Need:

• 1 - packet of InstaMorph
• Mod Podge
• Acrylic Sealer
• Tongs
• Sponge brush
• Pages from a book
• Thermometer
• Kettle to heat the water
• Large Bowl to hold the water

• Heat water up about 150 degrees F. The water can be warmer, but extra caution will have to be used handling the pellets to avoid burns.
• Pour InstaMorph into the water and allow it to sit for about two minutes. You'll notice the pellets will become transparent and will clump together.
• Using a pair of tongs remove the pellets from the water. Squeeze out remaining water between the pellets.
  
  Note: The nice thing about InstaMorph is that it can be reused multiple times. If you do decide to reuse an object, we found it worked best to heat the water to a temperature higher than 150 degrees F and to leave the object in the water for about five minutes.

Once the InstaMorph has been removed from the water, it should be cool enough to mold by hand.

• Place the IntaMorph on a hard surface and flatten it down as much as possible. A glass jar worked well to smooth the plastic down. Be sure to remove any air bubbles.
• Once the InstaMorph is fairly flat, place it back into the water to warm it up a bit, this is done just to make sure it is still fairly pliable.
• Begin creating a bowl shape. We used an extra large tea mug to get the shape we wanted.

While the InstaMorph is still soft, take a pair of scissors and cut a small hole on the bottom of the pot. This will allow water to escape.

• Cut several strips of paper.
• Coat front and back of the paper strip with Mod Podge.
• Place the strip onto the pot and smooth down with your fingers.
• Continue this step until the pot is decorated to your satisfaction.
• Wait 15-20 minutes and apply a second coat of Mod Podge to the paper. Repeat.
• In a well ventilated room or outside, spray sealant all over the pot. Wait 15-20 minutes and repeat.

You don't need to worry as much about how the paper lines up on the inside of the pot, the dirt will cover that. You do want to be sure that you apply several coatings of Mod Podge and sealant to protect against water.

Fill your pot with soil and your plant!

Check out more InstaMorph projects on our Facebook page!